Expect the Unexpected
by alb925
Summary: There's a war on the way and whether Auden decides to go back to Hogwarts, stay with Fred, or go on the Horcux Hunt with the trio, nowhere is really safe anymore. Will Fred and Auden's relationship survive the second wizard war? Part 3 of 3
1. Chapter 1: Journey to the Past

Fred was dreaming. He had to be. This wasn't real, couldn't be real. Auden was lying here, unconscious, and when she woke up, she wasn't going to recognize him or anyone else. Madame Pomfrey had said they were going to be strangers to her and he couldn't do that. He and Auden had never been strangers. They had been friends all their lives and for the past two and a half years, they had been so much more. Auden meant the world to him and he couldn't bear knowing that she had forgotten that.

Auden's parents had taken a position on the other side of Auden's bed. Tears were silently cascading down Mrs. Parker's cheeks as she ran her hand through her daughter's hair. Mr. Parker looked like he wanted to go to sleep and wake up where this was all a dream. Fred had to agree with him.

"Well, you know what we have to do," Mrs. Weasley said shakily. Fred looked up at her, tearing his eyes away from Auden for the first time since Neville had brought her in.

"What's that?" George asked quietly. He was standing behind Fred, looking scared.

"We're going to have to help her remember. No matter how long it takes," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yes, I think we can all agree to help?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking around.

There was no question. Everyone was nodding in agreement.

Fred looked up and saw Luna slipping into the room. "How's Auden?" she asked.

"She's going to have amnesia," Sirius said softly.

"Oh no, too bad we don't have any powdered Snorckack horn," Luna said. "My dad says it helps to cure amnesia."

"Well, since we don't have any of that, we're going to help her remember," Ron said.

"Ooh, sounds fun. Can I help?" Luna asked.

"Of course," Auden's mom said, smiling faintly.

"Oh, and I was just outside, you know…where Dumbledore's body was found," Luna added. Everyone was looking at her now.

"He's really dead?" Lupin asked.

"Yes. The funeral is going to be held in two days out by the lake. Professor McGonagall told me."

Everyone nodded silently. Fred ran a hand through his hair. Was nothing going to go right?

Suddenly, Auden shifted slightly in her bed and let out a low whimpering noise as her eyelids fluttered.

"Is she waking up?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"She is," Fred whispered, holding Auden's hand tighter. Fleur walked back over from Bill's bed. She had been moving back and forth between the beds, keeping an eye on Bill in case he woke up.

"Maybe you should let go of her hand, Fred," Mrs. Weasley said bracingly. "If she doesn't know you, you don't want to frighten her."

Fred looked up at his parents. Mr. Weasley nodded. "Your mother's right, Fred."

Fred dropped Auden's hand and moved back into his chair as his chest tightened even more. Auden was probably going to be terrified when she opened her eyes. She needed comfort and nobody who was here could do that in case they should frighten her.

Finally, Auden's eyes opened completely and she stared up at all of them in bleary confusion. Ginny had run to Madame Pomfrey's office and the two of them returned a moment later.

"Hello dear," Madame Pomfrey said gently, moving to the front of the group.

"Hi," Auden said, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Who are all these people and where am I?"

"You're in the Hogwarts hospital wing and I am Madam Pomfrey, the nurse. These are your friends and family."

"Hogwarts? Sounds like a gross disease. It's a good name for a hospital wing, though," Auden said, examining her hands.

"Hogwarts is a school, dear," Madam Pomfrey said. "You took a bad hit to the head and that's why you're here. You are a student here at Hogwarts."

"Am I really?" Auden asked, looking up.

The doors burst open again and Ben raced over to Auden's bed, skidding to a stop beside Lupin. "I got your letter, mum, and Apparated over as soon as I could. How is she? Does she really not remember anything?"

"Who's he?" Auden asked, pointing. "He has lots of burns. Maybe you should fix them." She looked at Madam Pomfrey. "You said you were the nurse, right?"

Ben's jaw dropped in shock and horror.

"I guess that answers your question, dear," Mrs. Parker said softly.

"Who is he?" Auden asked again.

"That's your brother," Mr. Parker said, clearing his throat. "His name is Ben and he's been working with dragons in Romania for the past three years. All the red heads are the Weasleys. You've known them since you were born. Neville, Harry and Hermione are other very good friends of yours. That's Sirius, and that's Lupin and Tonks."

"Who are you?" Auden asked, looking at her parents. Fred practically felt his heart break all over again at the looks on their faces.

"We're your parents, dear," Mrs. Parker whispered.

"Why don't I remember anyone?" Auden asked. She did look frightened and Fred wanted nothing more than to climb into the bed with her and comfort her, but he couldn't.

"Honey," Mrs. Parker said, "You hit your head and you can't remember anything or anyone."

"Really? So I'm really supposed to know all of you?" Auden squeaked, looking around.

Fred buried his head in his hands. Auden's eyes had passed over him as she looked around, and they had been completely blank. Not one sliver of recognition. This was real; she really didn't know who he was. Her own boyfriend, her own parents, her own brother.

"Honey, do you even remember your name?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

Auden thought for a moment. "No," she said finally, looking alarmed. "Can you tell me what it is and what happened to me exactly?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know the same thing," Ben added.

"Your name is Auden Parker," Neville said, from the chair he was sitting in. This was the first time he had spoken in a while. "I'm Neville and we're in the same year at school. There was a battle and Death Eaters were in the school, attacking everyone-,"

"Death Eaters?" Auden asked.

Fred sighed. This was going to be a long process.

"I suppose you don't know about You-Know-Who?" Ron asked.

Auden shook her head, so everyone took turns briefly telling Auden the story about Voldemort.

"And his followers, the Death Eaters, were in the castle tonight?" Auden asked.

"Yes," Neville said. "One of them, Bellatrix Lestrange, shot a killing curse at you from behind while you were running to the hospital wing. I pushed you out of the way and you hit your head."

"I'm going to kill Bellatrix Lestrange the next time I see her," Ben said, clenching his hands into fists.

"I'm with you on that one," Fred said, raising his head to look at Ben.

"Maybe we should force feed her about a million Puking Pastils before we kill her," George added.

"Why was I running to the hospital wing?" Auden asked, interrupting their discussion.

"I told you about one of the Weasleys being hurt. It turned out to be Bill," Neville pointed and Auden glanced at Bill's bed, "but you thought—you thought it was Fred."

"Who's Fred?" Auden asked.

At that moment, Fred felt as if she had dropped a boulder on his stomach. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

"This is Fred," George said. Fred felt his twins hand on his shoulder. He knew that George understood how hard this was for him.

"Hey, you two are twins! That's really cool!" Auden said.

"Yeah, it is," Fred said quietly. He looked into Auden's light brown eyes, trying to find a spark of recognition, but there was nothing.

"So I guess I must have been really close to you and your family," Auden said, looking at Fred with a small smile.

"Oh, yeah," Fred nodded. He actually had to smile a little. "You have no idea."

"Auden, honey," Mrs. Parker said. "I know you don't remember, but you and Fred were…dating. He's your boyfriend."

"He is?" Auden's gaze turned to Fred again. "You're my boyfriend?"

Fred nodded. He still felt out of breath. The pranks they had pulled, the Yule Ball, the cooking, their first date, she remembered none of it. It was all wasted. She couldn't even understand how much he loved her; she didn't remember him ever telling her.

"I guess you don't want to date me anymore," Auden said, looking down at her blankets. "I don't remember you. I'm really sorry. I just can't remember anything."

Fred nodded, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. "I know," he said shakily, "but I do still want to date you. I don't want to break up. I don't want to leave you just because you don't remember. I still-I love you."

Auden looked at him and bit her lip. An expression of shock crossed her features at Fred's words, but she didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut. "It's odd hearing that come from someone who I feel like I've never seen before," she whispered, finally opening her eyes.

Fred sighed and looked away. He didn't know if he could do this for much longer. It was pure agony.

"We're all going to help you get better, Aud," Harry whispered. "We really will."

Auden nodded and Fred saw tears falling from her own eyes. "I feel so terrible. I want to remember you so badly, but I just can't."

"Don't cry," Fred whispered. He hesitantly reached forward to wipe her tears away and when she didn't move, he wiped them away with his thumb.

Auden looked up at him, her eyes still watery. She tilted her head and half smiled. "You _are _pretty cute. I guess I have good taste in guys."

Sirius let out a barking laugh, the first laugh they had heard all night, and everyone else smiled at Auden's comment.

"She needs sleep," Madam Pomfrey announced. "Here, take this," she said, handing Auden a spoon filled with some kind of medicine.

"Ugh, that's gross," Auden said after she swallowed it.

"Well, it's not pumpkin juice, that's for sure," Madame Pomfrey said. "Now, I think you should rest. You need your sleep. After the funeral, you should be able to go home."

There was a knock on the door, and Madame Pomfrey threw up her hands, but her expression changed when she saw it was Professor McGonagall.

"I heard about Miss Parker," she said quietly, looking down at Auden.

"This is Professor McGonagall, Auden," Hermione said. "Our Transfiguration Professor."

"Oh, hello," Auden smiled.

"Hello," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile. "I heard you took a nasty hit to the head."

Auden nodded. "I can't remember who anyone is."

"Well, I'd say it's certainly better than you being killed. Heavens knows, we need _someone _around to keep the Weasley boy in line. At least somewhat," McGonagall said as Fred half-smiled. "Anyway, I came to tell you all that beds have been arranged in the Gryffindor dorms for you all so that you will be comfortable until the funeral. I take it that you all will be staying here until then."

"Of course," Mrs. Parker said. She looked back at her daughter. "Auden, dear, we'll all come to visit you tomorrow. Do you think you'll feel up to going to the funeral?"

"Sure, I'll go. Dumbledore seems like a fantastic man, from what you've told me."

"He was," Harry said quietly.

"I'm not leaving," Fred said, as everyone began to file out of the room.

"Fred, you need sleep, too," Mrs. Weasley said.

"There are plenty of beds here, but I don't want to leave Auden." He turned to face her. "Is it okay with you if I stay?" he asked.

Auden hesitated before answering. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, then, we'll see you both tomorrow, then," Mrs. Weasley said.

Fred felt George pat him on the back before following everyone out of the room. It was just him, Auden, and an unconscious Bill in the room now.

"I'm sorry if this is weird," Fred whispered, moving to sit on the end of Auden's bed.

"It is a little bit strange," Auden said, shrugging. "And I'm scared. But not of you. I get the feeling that I can trust you."

"You can," Fred said. He looked into her eyes again, and this time he couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"Hey, don't cry," Auden said, looking alarmed.

Fred didn't answer. He didn't know if he could. He just buried his head in his hands as his shoulders shook slightly. After a moment, he felt Auden's hand tentatively squeeze his arm and he looked up to see her staring at him, her expression a mix of guilt, fear and confusion.

"I know you're scared," he whispered, "and I'm scared too. I need you to remember. I can't lose you."

"Tell me something about us," Auden demanded, leaning back against her pillows. "I want to remember. I will be able to remember eventually, won't I?"

"Madam Pomfrey thinks so, but she doesn't know how long it will take," Fred said, wiping his nose on the back of his hand.

"Okay, well, start talking," Auden said.

"What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about how you asked me out," Auden said. She smiled as she looked at him eagerly.

Fred smiled for a brief second. "What is this, girl talk?"

"Yes, now tell me," Auden said. "Is it a romantic story?"

"I think so," he said. "We started dating on Christmas Eve two years ago. It'll be three this Christmas. Anyway, you were fourteen, I was sixteen."

"What month is it now?" Auden asked.

"June," Fred answered.

"Wow, two and a half years," Auden sighed.

"And counting," Fred responded automatically.

"Right," Auden said after a pause. "Anyway, continue."

"Okay, well I guess I should say that I started liking you the summer before your third year, but I didn't realize it. George knew before I did, actually. George is my twin," he added after seeing Auden's blank face. His heart dropped at her lack of knowledge of things she once knew. "Anyway, after that, I was able to admit it to myself, and that wasn't until the summer before your fourth year, but then you started dating Cedric Diggory in September. He was popular and a Quidditch player. Do you know what Quidditch is? It's a game played on brooms. You used to play, and so did I when I was at school here."

"Sounds fun. Was Cedric cute?"

Fred froze. Auden didn't like to talk about Cedric anymore, but now she didn't remember what had happened to him. It was weird hearing her bring him up. "Um, well yeah. Lots of girls liked him."

"Were you friends with him?"

"Not exactly. I guess he was okay, but-,"

"But you didn't like him because he was good at Quidditch and dating me?" Auden asked. "Just a guess," she added.

"Yeah, that's basically it."

"Then what happened?" Auden asked.

"We got into a fight," he said, turning red. "There was a tournament going on that year with three tasks. Cedric and Harry were both in it and you were cheering for him and I accused you of cheering for the enemy because he was in Hufflepuff. It's not one of my proudest moments."

"So how long were we in a fight for?"

"A month. Cedric broke up with you at the Yule Ball, a dance we had here on Christmas Eve. It was a mutual break up and I didn't know about it, so I found you and told you he was flirting with Cho Chang. You told me you didn't care because-,"

"Because why?" Auden whispered, leaning towards him.

"Because you were in love with me," Fred said. He was grinning at the memory and he looked up at Auden.

"And?" Auden prompted in a whisper.

"And then I kissed you," he whispered back. "It was the most amazing feeling. I had wanted to do it for the longest time and it was everything I had imagined and more." He paused. "Did any of that ring a bell? Bring back a flood of memories?"

"No," Auden shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Fred sighed. "We'll keep trying. You should sleep now."

"Will you be here in the morning?" Auden asked.

"If you want me to be," Fred answered.

"I do," she whispered, snuggling under the covers.

Fred climbed into the next bed and turned on his side, facing Auden. He watched her as her face relaxed and she fell asleep, her breathing light and airy. Moonlight was coming through the window and illuminating her face in a pale glow. She was still gorgeous, even while she was sleeping and had amnesia.

Fred drifted off to sleep, praying that Auden would remember everything soon.

* * *

**A/N: This is the first chapter to the third story in the Auden/Fred series. It's going to take place during the Deathly Hallows and then a little bit beyond the end of the book. **

**I used the song **_**Journey to the Past**_** for the lyrics in the chapter title. I'm not sure who sings it, but it's from the movie "Anastasia."**

**Reviews would be amazing. I love hearing what people think and they encourage me to write more :) I still don't own Harry Potter. The only things I own are Auden and her family.**


	2. Chapter 2: I Can't Let You Go

Auden was frustrated. She couldn't remember a thing. The only thing that she had remembered when she woke up was that she was a witch. The problem with that was that she didn't remember any spells.

The more important problem was that she couldn't recognize any of the people who had been standing by her bed. One man, he had told her that he was her dad, had gone around the group, telling her everyone's name and who they were, but it had meant nothing. She couldn't remember anything about them.

The shocked looks on everyone's faces had nearly killed her. Those people clearly cared about her and she could see that she had hurt them by not remembering, especially Fred, who was apparently her boyfriend. The thing was, while he seemed nice, she felt nothing for him, because she didn't remember him. She didn't remember the things they did together, or the things they said. Fred had known that and it had practically killed him. She had seen it in his eyes. He had cried because of it and Auden felt terrible.

This is what Auden was thinking about as she sat in her bed in the hospital wing. Fred was lying on the next bed, still asleep. He really had stayed the whole night with her. Auden got the feeling from the way he had acted that he really did love her and that made her feel worse.

He had said he still wanted to stay in a relationship with her, but was that the best thing? It was going to be difficult to date someone she felt as if she barely knew, even though she really did know him. But on the other hand, if she hadn't developed amnesia, all her feelings would still be there. Maybe there were still there now, but just locked up in some portion of her brain. And what if her memories never came back? How long could everyone go on trying to help her remember before it was considered a lost cause? How long would it be before Fred decided she wasn't worth it and decided to find another girl? For some reason, Auden hated that thought.

"How are you feeling today?" Madam Pomfrey asked, hurrying over with a smile and a spoon with more of the gross medicine.

"Okay. I have a small headache."

"That's expected. Have you remembered anything at all yet?"

"No." Auden shook her head. "Although, yesterday, when Fred mentioned Quidditch, it sounded kind of familiar, but I don't actually remember anything."

"Well, that's a start," the nurse said. "You have played Quidditch all of your years here."

Auden nodded, and swallowed her medicine, while holding her nose. The nurse laughed. "I guess that habit hasn't changed. Your mother told me yesterday that you always hold your nose when you take medicine. It's something I noticed too, when you came in with a cold one year."

Auden smiled, but didn't know what else to say. She wished she could remember doing that, even if it was something as small as holding her nose while taking medicine.

"You have quite the boyfriend," Madam Pomfrey said. "He stayed here all night."

"I noticed," Auden said, glancing at Fred.

"He loves you," Madame Pomfrey stated, confirming Auden's suspicions.

"I got that impression," she sighed. "I just wish I could remember him. How's he doing?" she asked, pointing to Bill. "What's his name again?"

"Bill. He's Fred's older brother. The Weasleys have seven children. Bill and Charlie already graduated. Charlie actually works with your brother in Romania. Anyway, Bill was here last night, fighting and he was attacked by a werewolf."

"Is he dangerous?" Auden asked.

"No, there wasn't a full moon last night, so Bill will just have a few werewolf tendencies. He woke up last night after you had fallen asleep, asking for raw steak. He was very concerned when I told him about you."

"I want to remember my life," Auden pouted, folding her arms.

"You will. It's highly likely that you will. The thing is that it might take a few days, or a few years. Hopefully it will be the shortest amount of time possible."

"Will I have to learn magic again?" Auden asked, picking up the stick that was apparently her wand.

"I don't think so. The spells you learned are in your memories, so if you get them all back, you should remember every spell you've ever learned." When Auden didn't respond, Madame Pomfrey patted her knee before moving to Bill's bed to further tend to the cuts on his face.

That day, the Weasleys, Auden's parents, Fleur, Harry, and Hermione came back to visit Auden and Bill. Bill even woke up while they were there, which led to Mrs. Weasley and Fleur crying again. They once again tried to help Auden remember something, anything, but nothing was working. Auden noticed that Fred was quiet and it bothered her. He looked so upset and it was all her fault.

The next day was the funeral for Dumbledore. Auden dressed and walked down to the lake with Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny.

"Dumbledore was brilliant," Ron told Auden as they walked. "A bit mental, but brilliant."

Auden nodded. "I wish I could remember," she sighed. Just then, she looked up and her eyes widened. "Wow, is that a giant?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's a giant. It's Hagrid's brother, Grawp," Harry said. "Hagrid's standing next to him. He's a half giant and the gamekeeper."

"Is he friendly?" Auden asked.

"Oh yeah, except for the fact that he likes to keep unusual animals as pets," Ron said. "It's too bad you can't remember the Skrewts or Norbert or Fluffy."

Fred had continued to be unusually silent. Auden felt that it probably had a lot to do with her. He had tried to kiss her that morning and Auden had moved her head at the last second, telling him it was too weird right now. Fred had apologized, saying he didn't know what he was thinking and that he was moving too fast, but now Auden felt terribly guilty. She just didn't want to kiss Fred yet. Maybe she would feel better about it when she got used to the situation.

They all found seats together and within minutes, the funeral began. Dumbledore's body was carried to the front of the crowd, and placed inside of a marble tomb. Then, a small, frail looking wizard stood up and made a speech.

Auden looked around. Hagrid the half giant was blowing his nose into a tissue the size of a small blanket. Hermione and Ginny were both crying silently, and even Harry and Ron had tears in their eyes. Auden had the feeling that if she could remember all about Dumbledore, she would be crying too. It was obvious that he was a great man.

In the middle of the funeral, Auden saw Fred's hand twitch towards hers before he closed it into a fist. He was dying to hold her hand. Auden bit her lip before reaching over and putting her hand on his. He looked surprised and she half smiled.

"This isn't weird?" he asked.

"A little," she shrugged, "but maybe it's best that I pretend that it isn't. It might help."

When the funeral was over, they located their parents and the rest of their family, and said their goodbyes to Harry and Hermione. Harry was going to go back to his aunt and uncle's house until a time when it would be safe to move him and Hermione was going back to her house for a few weeks until she'd come to stay with the Weasleys. Both she and Harry hugged Auden and assured her they'd write to her regularly. Even Luna and Neville came over to tell her the same thing. It was all very strange to Auden.

When it was time to leave, Auden had to Apparate with someone, since she didn't remember how to do it on her own. It was rather annoying. Fred volunteered to take her and she agreed, closing a hand onto his wrist.

They appeared in between two houses. The one on the right was tall and uneven looking, while the one on the left looked like a normal house. It was painted grey with black shutters. "That's your house," Fred said, pointing to the grey one.

"Oh," Auden said. Her parents and Ben were standing a few feet away, waiting for her, but she didn't move just yet. Instead, she looked up at the tall and uneven house. "This is where you live?" she asked.

"Well, sort of. I own a joke shop with George and we live in the flat above it, but I did grow up here. We call it the Burrow."

Auden smiled. "A joke shop, though? You didn't tell me that."

Fred shrugged. "Sorry. It's just so hard getting accustomed to the fact that you don't remember _any_ of the things you used to."

"Have I been there?" Auden whispered, chewing on her lip guiltily.

Fred nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah. Anyway, you should go. Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You don't want to come over?" Auden asked. "You can tell me more things that I should remember."

Fred shook his head. "It's been a long day." He hesitated, and Auden knew he desperately wanted to kiss her goodbye, but he knew how she felt. Instead, he settled on touching her cheek lightly before walking back towards his house.

Auden stood there watching him for a few seconds, before turning to join her family. She wanted to cry, but more importantly, she wanted to remember.

* * *

That day, Auden spent a lot of time in her bedroom. It felt foreign to her. Her parents had packed up her stuff and sent it back here from school, and all of her possessions also seemed foreign.

She picked up one of the pictures on her nightstand. It was of her and Ben. From the picture, she could tell that they had been close. She sighed and picked up the other picture. Her heart dropped. It was of her and Fred. They looked a few years younger and they were dancing around an unfamiliar room. The Auden in the picture looked happy, and she at least knew everything about the boy who she was dancing with.

Auden put the pictures down and curled up on her bed. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said quietly.

"It's me," Ben said, shutting the door and coming to sit on the end of her bed. "I have a surprise for you." From behind his back he pulled out a stuffed frog.

"What's that?" Auden asked, sitting up and looking at the stuffed animal.

"This," Ben said, "was your favorite toy when you were little. His name is Froggy. You named him yourself. Very original name, I must say."

Auden giggled and took the frog from him. "Why do you have him?"

"He's been in the attic forever. I took him down today and cleaned him off. I thought it might help you remember."

"Nothing yet," Auden said, staring down at the frog.

Ben was silent for a second. "You threw him at my head once," he said finally.

"I did?" she asked.

"Yeah, when you were three and I was seven. You got mad because you were jealous that I was showing signs of magic, so when I made one of the flowers in the pot on the coffee table wilt and come back to life again, you threw Froggy at me."

Auden laughed. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry, both me and Froggy were fine."

"What's this little blue spot?" Auden asked, pointing to a small dot of blue on one of the frog's fingertips.

"Ah, that. You were just learning how to paint your nails and thought it would be fun to paint Froggy's too, but mum caught you before you could really finish."

Auden couldn't help but laugh. "Seems like I was an interesting child."

"You were," Ben chuckled. "You were a good kid with a troublesome side that Fred and George always seemed to bring out."

"Are they big troublemakers?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, they're good kids, but they never pass up a chance to cause a bit of trouble."

"I think Fred's mad at me," Auden said, expressing her concern.

"No, he's not mad. He's just upset, but not at you. He loves you and he wants you to remember. I guess you can say he misses you."

"I'm hurting him, aren't I? By not being able to remember?" Auden asked.

Ben slid closer and put his arm around her. She let him, hesitantly at first, but then she buried her face into his chest and started to cry.

"Shh, don't worry. You're going to remember," he whispered.

"I hate this, I hate it so much," she sobbed. "I can't even let him kiss me because it just feels weird. Half of me wants to let him but the other half of me just feels weird."

"It'll be fine," Ben said. "You're going to get your memories back, Auden. I promise. I know you probably don't remember this now, but none of us are going to let you stay this way. We'll get you to remember if it's the last thing any of us do."

Auden nodded. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry this had to happen to me. From what I've been told, I wasn't really paying attention. If I had been, I would have noticed the killing curse Bellatrix was aiming at me and I would have been able to avoid it without Neville pushing me to the floor."

"No, don't blame yourself," Ben answered. "You were worried about one of the Weasleys being in the hospital wing. You're a good fighter and so brave. This wasn't your fault...Actually this whole ordeal has made me feel bad about being away so much. I've only seen you once since I left for Romania. I left nearly three years ago and the last time I saw you was just over one year ago. It's hard because I love Romania, but it's so busy that I can barely find time to write or to come home. It was even hard for me to get time off now to come home."

"Then why did you?" Auden asked, fiddling with her sleeve.

"Auden, are you crazy?" Ben pulled back slightly so that he could look at her. "You're my little sister and I got a letter from Mum saying you had been hurt and that you had lost your memory. Why would that question even cross your mind? You know how much I care about you."

"That's just it...I don't know how much anyone cares for me."

"Hasn't it been obvious?" Ben asked. "Even without your memories, can't you see how much we all love you and want you to get better?"

Auden hesitated. "It has been obvious, but like I said, Fred's upset. I'm hurting him. I'm hurting everyone." She paused again before voicing the concerns she had thought of the morning before. "And how long will it be before it's been long enough? How long is it until everyone gives up on me? What if my memories _never _come back? What if Fred finds another girl?"

Ben snorted. "None of us are planning on giving up on you, but especially Fred. And I think he loves you too much to find another girl. I know I haven't been around all that much, but he loves you with all of his heart. It doesn't take a genius to see it."

"But he's already giving up on me. I could see it in his eyes," Auden sighed, leaning against her brother's side again and resting Froggy on her stomach. "When we got home, he basically just sent me back here and told me to rest. Why wouldn't he have insisted on trying to jog my memory?"

Ben shrugged. "He might sulk for a bit, but George will talk sense into him. But he'd never truly give up on you. He needs you to remember, just as _you_ need you to remember. Like I said, he loves you."

Auden smiled. "What'll you do if he does give up on me?"

"Beat him to a pulp, like any good big brother would," Ben laughed.

Auden's smile widened as she let out a giggle. It was her first laugh since she had lost her memory. "I hope you're right about him not giving up on me then, because I actually don't want to see him get beaten up."

Ben chuckled. "I don't want to have to do it. But if I'm being honest, I really don't think I'll have to."

"Good," Auden sighed. A few minutes later, she felt herself drifting off to sleep, hoping that this nightmare would all be over soon.

* * *

"Fred, let's go play a game of Quidditch," George suggested. Fred was just lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had been there since he had returned from Dumbledore's funeral.

"Nah, I don't feel like it. Ginny might want to play, though."

George sighed. "Are you coming into the shop tomorrow? We have to get back to work, but if you need the day off, you can take it."

"No, I'll come in tomorrow," Fred said. "I need something to do."

"You can go see Auden, you know. She's not diseased, she just doesn't remember."

"I know, but what's the point of being with her? She barely lets me touch her and she's my own girlfriend," Fred said, flipping over onto his stomach.

George sat down on the edge of Fred's bed. "I know how it is. When Katie was in the hospital-,"

"She remembered you when she woke up," Fred interrupted.

"But she was unconscious most of the time. At least you can talk to Auden."

"Yeah, but it's like talking to a stranger that you barely know."

"She wants to remember, I know she does, but we all need to help her, Fred. You can't just stay away from her, waiting for all her memories to come back."

"I tried. I told her about when we started dating."

"That's not enough. You're just letting her go. Do you love her or not? If you really do, you'll help her."

If anyone besides George had said that, Fred probably would have started yelling at them, but when the words came out of his twin's mouth, he looked up. "What do I do?" he asked hoarsely, his voice and his facial expression betraying his feelings of terror and helplessness.

"Talk to her, spend time with her. Take it slow. I know it's hard for you, but imagine how she feels. She's probably scared and worried."

"You're right," Fred sighed. "It's just that it's torture being so close to her and having to watch everything I do because she's confused. Nearly every time I go to touch her, she flinches. It's like she thinks I'm going to hurt her."

"In her mind, she doesn't know that you won't," George reasoned. "She technically feels like she doesn't even know you."

"Yeah, but we've told her how close we were. She knows I'm her boyfriend."

"It's not enough, unfortunately."

Fred sighed. "Does that offer still stand about taking tomorrow off? I think I'm going to go spend the day with her."

"Sounds like a great idea." George grinned and left the room.

The next day, Fred woke up early and went down to the kitchen. He was going to take Auden on a picnic, and he was going to tell her anything and everything she wanted to know. She was getting her memory back, no matter what it took.

He opened one of the bottom cabinets and stuck his head inside, looking for a basket. He knew there was one in here somewhere.

"Fred?" His mother's voice came from behind him. "Why is your backside sticking out from that cabinet?"

"I'm looking for a basket," he answered.

"Why do you need a basket?" she asked, sounding confused.

"I'm taking Auden on a picnic. What do we have for food?" Fred found the basket and stood up.

"That's a great idea. And we have," Mrs. Weasley went into full mother mode as she took out the food, "ham, turkey, salami-,"

"Ham's good," Fred interrupted. "It's Auden's favorite."

"Trying to get her memory back?" Mrs. Weasley leaned up against the counter.

"Mhm," Fred nodded, making the sandwiches. He put mustard on Auden's. She loved ham and mustard.

"Here, I have a few chocolate chip cookies left over," Mrs. Weasley said, putting them in a small bag. "And a few apples, and a bag of pretzels." She handed the bag to Fred and he put it in the basket.

"What am I missing?" he asked, inspecting the interior of the basket.

"Drinks?" suggested Mrs. Weasley.

"Ah, that's what it is," Fred said, snapping his fingers. He turned around and Mrs. Weasley was standing there already holding two bottles of butterbeer.

"I'm just so excited you're doing this. I hope she gets her memory back before the wedding. It just wouldn't be the same for her, you know, going to a wedding for two people she feels she knows nothing about."

Fred just nodded. That was his goal. The wedding was on August 1st. It was mid-June now. He was going to try and get Auden's memory back for the wedding.

"Mad-Eye wrote the other day. He wants to discuss a plan to get Harry from his aunt and uncle's before the protection breaks and You-Know-Who can attack his house."

"So we're going to have to get him before his birthday," Fred stated.

"Right," Mrs. Weasley nodded. "I don't even have to ask if you and George want to be in on it."

"Of course we do," Fred said, closing the picnic basket.

"You know, Fred, if Auden has her memory back by then, she's going to want to go."

Fred stopped halfway to the door. "She can't," he said, turning to look at his mother.

"She is of age now, Fred. You can't stop her."

"Mum, what if something bad happens to her again?" Fred said, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper unintentionally.

"Something bad could happen to any of you, but we're going to have to pray that it doesn't," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'm just letting you know what she's going to want."

"Maybe I can talk her out of it," Fred said.

Mrs. Weasley let out a chuckle. "That won't work. She's almost as stubborn as you. But we are getting ahead of ourselves here. For now, just work on getting her to remember." She patted Fred's cheek before heading upstairs to do the laundry.

Fred stood in the kitchen for a few seconds before walking out the door. He had basically already lost Auden once, and he didn't want to lose her again.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter's title comes from the song **_**Every Time We Touch**_** by Cascada. The version I listened to was the slow version. I know it doesn't make a difference, but the slow version is a lot cuter, I think. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and everything so far. I really appreciate it! I hope everyone likes this chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: Falling For You

Auden was reading a book on the window seat in her living room. A slight breeze came in through the open window and ruffled her hair. The sun was shining and it felt good on her arms and face.

She heard a knock on the door, so she put a bookmark in her book and went to the door. Fred was standing there with a basket. "Hey," he said, smiling.

"You seem to be a lot happier than yesterday," she observed with a slight smile. It was true. Fred's smile was bigger and more genuine. His eyes were brighter and he wasn't looking at her sadly anymore. It made her feel good.

"That's because I'm determined to help you remember. I know this is weird, but I can't stand being without you."

"Technically you aren't without me," Auden joked. "I'm standing in front of you, aren't I?"

"You know what I mean," Fred grinned. "Now come on."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"On a picnic out in the field behind my house. Now, come on, I'm getting impatient."

"Hold on, I need to get my shoes." She stepped away from the door to get her shoes, but Fred stopped her.

"Forget the shoes. It's summer, it's almost eighty degrees, and the sun is shining. It's perfect weather to go barefoot."

"Okay, then you should take your shoes off too," Auden said, looking down at Fred's sneakers.

"Okay, fine," he answered, kicking them off carelessly. "Now, let's go."

"Socks too," she said, crossing her arms.

Fred quickly took off his socks and threw one at Auden. "Happy now?"

"Gross!" she said, swatting the sock away and laughing.

"Let's go," Fred said, turning and walking away.

Auden followed him through the grass to the middle of the field. Fred took a blanket from under his arm and she helped him spread it on the ground.

"So, what's in the basket?" she asked, sitting down on the blanket. She stretched her legs out in front of her and smoothed out her sundress before leaning back on her hands.

"Food," Fred answered, sitting down opposite her.

"I know that, I haven't forgotten what goes in picnic baskets," Auden joked, laughing. "I meant what kind of food."

"Well, then, to be specific I made ham sandwiches. Ham is your favorite," Fred said, handing her one.

"Ham and mustard?" she asked, peeling back the bread. "Really?"

"Yeah," Fred laughed. "And my mum gave us cookies, apples, pretzels, and butterbeer."

"That was nice of her," Auden said. She quietly began to eat her sandwich and took the butterbeer Fred was passing her.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked, giving her a confused look over the top of his own sandwich.

"I'm sorry," Auden answered quietly.

"Sorry for what?" Fred looked confused.

"I'm sorry that I can't remember you and I'm sorry that I'm hurting you." It felt as if some of the weight sitting on Auden's chest had lifted. It felt good to finally confess to Fred how truly sorry she was for what she was unintentionally doing.

"It's not your fault that you can't remember anything. I'd rather have that then you dead. Neville saved your life. And you aren't hurting me."

"Yes, I am," Auden argued. "I could tell by the way you were acting yesterday."

Fred put his sandwich down. "Auden, listen. Yeah, this is hard for me, but only because I felt like I lost you. And it's not your fault, trust me. You're my best friend and my girlfriend, and not even you losing your memory is going to change that."

Auden just looked at him. "This is why I want to remember everything so badly. You and your family and my parents have been so great through all of this, and I can tell that I have a good relationship with everyone."

"You know that scar above your eyebrow?" Fred asked, resting his elbows on his knees and pointing.

"Yeah, I was wondering how I got that," Auden lightly touched the spot on her head.

"It was my fault. Sort of, anyway," Fred smirked. "You were five, I was seven. Ron hates spiders and George and I were just showing signs of magic and we realized we could make things fly around the room. We made a rubber spider fly at Ron and he knocked you over so that your head hit the fireplace and it gave you a cut that left that scar."

Auden laughed and let out one of her signature snorts.

Fred grinned. "You used to snort all the time when we were younger, and you still do it now. I like your snorts. Cedric thought they were unattractive."

"So where's Cedric now? He was older than me, right?"

"Cedric, ah, he…" Fred trailed off and began picking the bread on his sandwich apart.

"Tell me, it's okay," Auden said gently.

"He died," Fred said, looking up.

Auden's face fell. "How?"

"In the Triwizard Tournament. You-Know-Who had a spy in disguise as a teacher at Hogwarts. He turned the trophy into a Portkey. Remember when we told you about Harry facing You-Know-Who in the graveyard? That's where the Portkey took them. They took the cup together, and You-Know-Who killed Cedric."

"Oh, that's awful," Auden said.

"He, uh, still liked you apparently," Fred said. "Loved you, actually."

"He did? I thought you said it was a mutual break up?"

"We thought so at first, but I guess his father didn't like my family or your family and was trying to get Cedric to talk to Cho Chang, and Cedric also saw that you were falling for me." He stopped when he saw the look on Auden's face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset."

"No, it's okay, I was the one who asked you. I'm glad you told me though." Auden was silent for a moment. They had finished their sandwiches and were now eating the cookies. "What's the story with the tree house?" she asked finally, looking over at the wooden structure.

"Ah, that's for tomorrow night. I have to work tomorrow, and when I get home, I'll bring you up there and tell you all about it."

"Can I come to the shop with you?" Auden asked. "I want to see it."

Fred smiled. "Sure."

"I've heard it's amazing."

"You loved it the first time I showed it to you."

"Did I?"

Fred nodded. "You were one of the first to see it."

Auden grinned. "I feel special."

"You are special, Aud," Fred said.

Auden blushed and looked down at the blanket. She sighed. "Truthfully, I actually don't feel all that special. I feel like a burden. I feel like someone who doesn't know anything simply because I can't remember."

"This amnesia thing is really bothering you, isn't it?" Fred whispered, staring at her intently.

"Of course it is, wouldn't it bother you?" Auden looked at him in surprise. She didn't know why he seemed so shocked about her concerns. They seemed perfectly rational to her.

Fred nodded. "It _is_ bothering me."

"I know, but you're not the one who can't remember. I know this is hard for you, but it's hard for me, too," Auden said, biting her lip. "It's frightening not feeling familiar with any of my surroundings and struggling to remember. With every day, every second that I don't get my memory back, I feel even more of an annoyance."

"To who?"

"To you! To everyone!" Auden exclaimed. She looked down again. "Especially to you," she muttered.

Fred sighed. "You're not annoying me."

"You're upset that I can't remember. You just said so. And everyone else is upset, too."

"Because we want you to get better! Like I told you, it's not your fault that you can't remember. You didn't do anything wrong." When Auden didn't look at him, he reached over and cupped her cheek in his hand, gently tilting her head up. She didn't pull away and Fred took that as a good sign. "I'm going to love you no matter what and I know for a fact everyone else feels the same way."

Auden nodded. "I just..." She closed her eyes and sighed as Fred let go of her face and leaned back again. "I don't want you to give up on me but I worry that if this goes on for too long, I'll have to let you so that I'm not being a burden anymore."

"We're _never _going to give up on you, Aud," Fred whispered fiercely. "And nothing you say will change our minds. You aren't a burden and you aren't annoying us. We want you to get better and we'll do everything it takes."

"You say that now, but-"

"Auden," Fred interrupted. "I know it's hard to get your mind around this right now, but I. Love. You. I love you with every piece of my heart. I'm not happy unless I know _you're_ happy. And warm and safe and healthy. I'll stop at nothing to make sure you're all of these things. I'd go to the ends of the earth for you. And okay, maybe it does break my heart to know that you can't remember or understand this right now, but that's all the more reason to ensure you get your memories back."

Auden felt her throat constricting and her eyes filling with tears as she stared down at the bottle of butterbeer in her hands. She spun the cold glass bottle around and around as she attempted to get her feelings under control. Fred was such a wonderful guy and she was clearly so lucky to have him. She was so lucky that he had chosen her out of all the other girls he could have gotten. His kindness and generosity only made her want her memories back even more desperately than before.

"Don't cry, Aud," Fred whispered. "You'll get your memories back soon."

"You don't know that."

"I do because, like I said, we're all going to do everything in our power to make sure it happens. And with all of us helping, it's sure to happen quickly."

"You're all so nice to me," Auden said, looking up at him as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"What can we say?" Fred smirked. "We love you, Aud."

* * *

The next day, Fred brought Auden to work with him. He showed her how to use the cash register and even let her ring up a few customers.

"She's a natural, Freddie," George said, as the two of them stood near the back room, watching Auden. She was very friendly and helpful to all of the customers. Fred watched as she laughed at something a customer had said.

"She's doing a good job, huh?" Fred asked, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms.

"So how's the whole helping her remember thing going with you?" George asked. Everyone had been spending time with Auden, telling her stories, and trying to get her memories to flood back, even Sirius and Lupin. Luna had been writing Auden weekly letters along with Katie, Harry, Hermione, and even Angelina.

"Nothing yet," Fred sighed. "I'm taking her to the tree house tonight."

"Bring that drawing of hers that you kept. You can tell her about how you kept it when you were pining over her."

"Shut up," Fred said, giving his twin a shove. "But I'll bring it. Thanks."

* * *

"Okay, this is the tree house," Fred said, helping Auden the rest of the way up the ladder that night. The crickets were chirping and the stars were out.

"Okay, and what is so special about this tree house?" Auden asked.

"My dad and your dad tried to build us a tree house without magic, but it was lopsided, so they rebuilt it using magic. It's in the middle of our houses because it was meant for us to share."

"Were we out here a lot as kids?" Auden asked.

"Oh yeah," Fred answered. "I remember George, Bill, Charlie, Ben, Ron and I would come up here and we wouldn't let you or Ginny come inside. Percy joined us sometimes if he wasn't reading a book."

"Oh, was it like a special boy's club or something?" Auden asked, making a face.

"Pretty much. We used to put signs up and everything. 'No Girls Allowed'."

"What did you talk about?" Auden asked, in a teasing voice. "Girls?"

"Sometimes. I think George and I were nine at the time, so we still thought girls had cooties. Percy was only eleven and thought girls were from another planet. Bill and Charlie were older, though, so they talked all about girls."

"I think my brother has a secret girlfriend," Auden said. She and Fred were sitting cross legged on the floor and Auden was just becoming aware that their knees were touching. For the first time since she lost her memory, she felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Ben does? Who is she?" asked Fred, looking excited.

"He's been writing to her ever since he came back from Romania. Her name's Marnie. I asked him to tell me about her after I caught him reading one of her letters and he said he met her when he was working on the dragons. He showed me a picture she sent him. She's pretty. Short brown hair, freckles, tan, and covered in as many burns as Ben, if not more."

"Do you think they'll get married?" Fred asked.

"I hope so," Auden smiled. "It'll be cool to have a sister-in-law. But, of course, I have to meet her first and make sure she's good enough."

Fred laughed. "Shouldn't Ben be the one approving all of your relationships?"

"It can go both ways," Auden giggled. "Besides, he's approved ours, hasn't he? The least I can do is return the favor." It was the first time she had ever mentioned her and Fred's relationship as if it wasn't foreign to her-as if she were comfortable with it again-and she knew that Fred noticed from the smile that faintly flickered across his face.

"I guess you have a point," Fred said, "but I think you need your memory back before any wedding between your brother and his mystery girlfriend. Actually, getting it back before Bill and Fleur's wedding would be ideal." He turned to the side and stretched out his legs. Auden felt herself hating the fact that their knees were no longer touching.

"I hope so," Auden said. She definitely wanted her memory back for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Dumbledore's funeral had been awkward enough-everyone else had been emotional and she had just sat there feeling indifferent and very guilty about it. She did _not_ want to have to go through that for Bill and Fleur's wedding.

"There's another story about this tree house," Fred said, looking at her, a piece of hair hanging over his eyes. Auden had the sudden urge to push it out of his face, but she decided against it.

"Oh yeah? Tell me," she grinned.

"The summer before fourth year, when I liked you, we had just come back from the Quidditch World Cup and you couldn't sleep so you snuck out here. I saw you from my window and I followed you with hot chocolate."

"Did you burn the house down?" Auden asked jokingly.

Fred laughed. "I didn't, and the funny thing is, I remember you saying 'you didn't even burn the house down' when I brought it to you."

Auden giggled and waited for him to go on.

"Anyway," Fred continued, "you showed me a drawing that you had drawn when you were about seven, I think. It was me, you, George, and Ron, and it said 'friends forever' at the top."

"Is it still up here?" Auden asked, looking around.

"Well, it wasn't for a while because after we woke up the next morning, I pocketed it and I've kept it in my room ever since, but tonight," he reached into his pocket, "I brought it with me."

"You did not! Let me see!" Auden exclaimed, taking the paper. "This is so cute! It's weird looking at this, though. I mean, I drew it, but right now I'm looking at it for the first time. It's…surreal."

Fred took the paper back and returned it to his pocket. When he looked up, Auden was walking out to the tree house's porch.

"It's so nice out tonight," Auden said when Fred joined her.

"It is," he agreed. "You know, I just remembered a time last summer when we were out here, standing on this railing. I gave you my Quidditch sweatshirt."

"Ah, so that's why I have one with your name and one with my name," Auden said.

"Yeah, that's why," Fred smiled. "But you were out here because you were worried about the war. I made you laugh."

"I don't find that surprising," Auden answered and she saw Fred smile in the dark. "Stars are so beautiful to look at, aren't they?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, they are. I like looking for constellations I learned in Astronomy, surprising as it sounds."

"Why is that surprising?" Auden asked.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot, but George and I…we tried in school, but not as hard as we could've. I mean to say that we could've done better, but we could've done worse. Anyway, most people probably just assume we're the pranksters, the goof-off's, the school drop outs."

"I'm sure nobody thinks that," Auden said. "You have a successful joke shop. You're raking in Galleons. You're smart, and I bet everyone knows it." She saw Fred blush.

"Anyway," Fred said, "I should walk you back to your house."

Auden was struck with a sudden idea. "Can we sleep out here? You know, like before. It might help me remember."

"You really want to? Before you were almost scared of me."

"You're growing on me," Auden teased.

"Okay, wait here. I'll go get blankets. Want some hot chocolate?"

"If you think you can do it without burning the house down," Auden answered, going back inside the tree house and sliding down the wall to the floor.

"Okay." Fred started down the ladder. "You're sure about this?" he asked when only his head was showing.

"Positive. Like I said, it might help me remember."

"Okay," Fred said happily as he disappeared.

Auden sighed. Fred was so happy to be doing this. She did think that sleeping out here might help her remember, but really she just wanted to be with Fred, because she had just realized that, slowly, she was beginning to fall for him all over again.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews and to the people who added any of my stories to their story alert/favorites and/or added me to their favorite authors. :)**

**The title of this chapter is the song **_**Fallin' for You**_** by Colbie Caillat.**


	4. Chapter 4: These Crazy Times

It was now the beginning of July, and Auden still didn't have her memory back. It was the most annoying thing in the world. She didn't want to be stuck like this for years and most definitely not forever. She wasn't even sure she could handle another day. She wanted to remember her life. She wanted to remember all the times she spent with Ben, and her family and the Weasleys. She wanted to remember going to Hogwarts for the first time. She even wanted to remember going to find the Sorcerer's Stone and the time she got her scar. But most importantly, she wanted to remember Fred. She wanted to remember their first kiss and when he first told her he loved her. She wanted to be able to tell _him_ she loved him and understand where the feelings came from.

Bill and Fleur's wedding was coming up on August first, and at the end of July, Harry was going to be rescued from the Dursley's. Auden had overheard Mrs. Weasley talking about it to Fred, George and her mother one night. Naturally, Auden asked to be a part of it. Mrs. Parker had said to wait and see if her memory came back first. Mrs. Weasley gave Fred an 'I told you so' look and he simply frowned. Auden knew why, of course. Fred wanted to keep her safe after what had happened. It was a very sweet gesture, but if her memory came back, she was going to go.

Most of the Order had been popping in and out of the Burrow sporadically since it had become the new headquarters after Dumbledore had died. Mad-Eye had come over a few times to try and discuss the plan, but it had been on occasions where members of the Order had been unavailable and Mad-Eye wanted everyone together at once. He had rambled to Mrs. Weasley for about an hour, saying something about Polyjuice Potion and seven Harry's.

One night, in the second week of July, Auden was sitting in Ginny's room with Hermione and Fleur, talking about Fleur's wedding. Fleur seemed to be getting along better with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. Auden had heard that they didn't always get along and she was glad to know that things were better between them, even though she didn't remember the extent of their previous relationship. Fred and George were at work, but were expected to stop by later. Ron was upstairs in his room, and Auden's parents and Ben were in the kitchen talking to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"So, Geeny, the bridesmaid dress should be coming in tomorrow, and you can try eet on. I am sure eet weel look stunning on you. You weel pull it off well."

Ginny blushed. "Thanks, Fleur," she whispered.

"It sounds like Fred and George are here," Hermione observed as a crack sounded from the kitchen. Everyone looked at Auden.

"What?" she asked.

"You spent the other night in the tree house with Fred," Ginny said. "Are you getting any memories back at all?"

"No," Auden said honestly.

"Aha, but you are getting feelings for Fred back. Is that what eez happening?" Fleur asked, snapping her fingers.

"You are!" Ginny cried, when Auden blushed. "You're falling for my brother all over again!"

Auden didn't have time to respond, because the door opened and Fred stuck his head inside. "Can I borrow Auden for a little while?" he asked. "Sorry if I'm interrupting important girl bonding time."

"No it's okay. She's all yours," Ginny said with a smirk.

Auden rolled her eyes and shoved Ginny's knee before standing and joining Fred in the hallway. "What's up?" she asked.

"I have an idea," Fred said. He took her hand and led her into the empty living room. The sound of the adult's muffled laughter came from behind the kitchen door.

"What's this great idea?" Auden asked as Fred turned on the radio in the corner and began fiddling with the dials, mumbling quietly to himself. He tapped the radio with his wand a few times and chewed on his lip. "This is supposed to work...to get the song I want and have it play...'

"I don't understand what you're doing," Auden said.

"You will," Fred told her as he startedto fiddle with the dials again.

Auden couldn't help but watch him as he did so. His expression was one of total serious and concentration. His tongue was between his teeth and everything. He was so handsome, Auden couldn't help but notice. It was all so strange. She supposed she was expected to think that because he was her boyfriend, but she had felt almost nothing for him when she had woken up in the hospital wing last month. And now she was finding herself attracted to him all over again. It wasn't her memories coming back because it felt totally new, but at the same time, she had to wonder if this was going to help. She was clearly becoming comfortable with him and perhaps allowing him to treat her like his girfriend would jog her memory.

"Aha!" Fred finally exclaimed as he tapped the radio one last time. The opening notes of a song began playing through the speakers. It sounded oddly familiar.

"I still don't understand..." Auden began.

Fred turned and held out his hand to her. "Dance with me?" he asked. "Please?"

Auden bit her lip before looking into Fred's pleading blue eyes. She placed her small hand into his large one and he put his other arm around her waist, pulling her close. Slowly, they moved around the room in silence. Auden's heart was hammering in her chest.

Fred's lips were right next to her ear. "I love you, so, so much," he whispered.

Auden felt as if she was going to cry and she couldn't really explain why. She raised her head and looked up at him, trying to control her rapid breathing. She definitely had feelings for him, but she technically always had, they were just forgotten. She was so confused.

They stopped dancing and Fred brought his hand to her cheek hesitantly. Auden didn't move realized she really did want to kiss him. It was the perfect time to start letting him treat her as a girlfriend and she was thinking she could definitely handle a kiss. Suddenly, Fred was leaning closer and he stopped with his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, their lips inches apart, letting her make the final decision.

Auden's heart beat even faster. Her eyes were closed too. She was going to do this, but before she could, the song launched into the chorus and everything was flooding back. Memories were flooding her brain like a waterfall. Her and Fred at the Yule Ball, her and Ben playing in their yard when they were young, her and Ron on the Hogwarts Express, Fred smearing a blob of frosting on her nose, running from Fluffy with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Ginny doing her hair for her first date with Fred, the first Quidditch match they won, her giving Fred a scrapbook in the kitchen of his flat, and her and Fred dancing around the Leaky Cauldron to the very song that was playing on the radio now. The song they had danced to at the Yule Ball. All of this filling her mind at once caused Auden to gasp and take a step back, out of Fred's grasp.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I thought you were ready!" Fred said. "I'm such an idiot!" He stepped backwards and turned away from her.

"No, Fred, I remember, I remember everything!" Auden was crying out of joy and relief, and she sunk to the floor in shock.

"What?" Fred gasped, turning back to look at her.

"Everything," she whispered. It was as if a rush of emotions had filled her along with the memories and she wanted to tackle Fred to the ground and never let him go. She wanted to hug her brother and her parents and Harry and Ron and everyone she had forgotten over the last month.

"You remember?" Fred gasped, sinking to the ground beside her. He looked like the wind had been knocked out of him.

"Yes, I remember everything. I remember when we started dating, I remember that Christmas and giving you the picture frame. I remember this song…the Leaky Cauldron, the Yule Ball. All of it." With that, she flung herself at Fred and threw her arms around his neck. He fell backwards, laughing. Auden rested her head on his chest and sighed, her crying slowing to a slow hiccupping sound. Fred put his hand on her lower back and they stayed like that for a moment.

"What's going on in here?" Mrs. Parker asked, walking out of the kitchen. "Auden why are you crying?"

"Mum!" Auden yelled, jumping up and nearly knocking her mother over with a hug. "I remember everything!"

"You do?" Auden's mother held her daughter away from her.

"Yes!" Auden said, tears falling again.

Mrs. Parker let out a happy scream and hugged Auden tightly.

"What's happening, is everyone all right?" Mrs. Weasley appeared at the door, her husband, Auden's dad, and Ben right behind her. The girls, George, and Ron clambered down the stairs, stopping a few steps from the bottom.

"She remembers!" Auden's mother whispered, still holding Auden in a tight hug. Fred was grinning up at everyone from the floor.

"No way!" yelled Ron.

"Way," said Auden, teasing.

"Prove it. What's my middle name? I don't think anyone ever told you when you had amnesia. I hate my middle name," Ron wrinkled his nose.

"It's after your great uncle, it should be an honor," scolded Mrs. Weasley.

Auden laughed. "It's Bilius, and when we were little I used to tease you about it all the time because I knew you hated it."

"You do remember!" Ron yelled and he charged down the rest of the stairs to hug Auden and her mum at the same time.

"Group hug!" Ben announced, and suddenly Auden was surrounded by eleven people standing in a huge blob in the middle of the Weasley's living room.

"Um, what's happening?" asked a voice from the doorway. It was Bill.

"Auden has gotten her memory back, Beel!" Fleur yelled, from somewhere in the middle of the blob.

"That's great! But why are you all huddled together? Did you smother her amnesia away?"

Auden giggled. After everyone had let go of her, she sighed happily and grinned at everyone.

"So, how did eet happen?" Fleur asked, sitting down on the couch next to Bill. "When you were weeth us een Geeny's room, you steel had no memory, but now you do."

"It was Fred," Auden said, looking at him happily and taking his hand as he blushed.

"Verity was talking to a customer at work today about a certain radio station that you can charm to play any song that you want. I overheard the conversation and it gave me an idea."

"I had no idea why he was tapping the radio, but then a song came on," Auden began. "The song we danced to at the Yule Ball and the Leaky Cauldron. It's basically our song."

"Anyway," Fred continued. "I asked her to dance with me and, I don't know, I was trying to take it slow with the whole dating thing, but I tried to kiss her, thinking she was ready to at least try—,"

"And I was. I was going to do it, but then all my memories came back. Just like that."

"Wow," Ginny whistled.

"That's incredible," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'm going to write to Sirius and Lupin right now. They'll want to know."

"I'll go write to Luna and Neville," Ginny volunteered, running back to her room.

"And I'll go write to Katie and Angelina," George said.

Just like that, everyone seemed to disperse, except for Ben, who came over to give Auden one last hug.

"I knew you'd get your memory back," he whispered in her ear. "And I knew Fred wouldn't give up on you."

"I can't believe I ever worried that he would," she whispered back, giggling slightly. "Stupid amnesia."

Ben chuckled before letting her go. He ruffled her hair and gave Fred a smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Want to go for a walk?" Fred asked Auden.

"Sure," she answered.

"So, do you remember anything that happened during your amnesia?" Fred asked as they walked outside, holding hands. "I don't know how that works…"

"Yeah, I think it depends. I remember most of what happened, though. I don't really remember the first night that I woke up, but I have an easier time remembering the recent things like the picnic and the tree house."

"Do you remember the funeral?" Fred asked tentatively.

"Some of it," Auden said. "I can't believe Dumbledore's dead, though."

"I know, it's terrible," Fred answered.

"I wish I hadn't been completely out of it during the funeral. It feels like that was so disrespectful."

"It's okay, I think he would understand," Fred told her.

"I still feel bad," Auden whispered. They had walked down to the small pond behind the Burrow and Auden chewed her lip as she looked out at the water.

"Auden, you probably would have died if Neville hadn't pushed you out of the way. We would've been having a double funeral. I'm just happy you're here, even if you did lose your memory for a month." He sat down on a large rock and took both of Auden's hands in his.

"Fred, I remember what Mad-Eye said to my mum and your mum," Auden said. She knew they had to talk about this. "You know, about getting Harry from his aunt and uncle's."

"You want to be involved, don't you?" Fred sighed.

"Yeah," Auden whispered. "Harry's my friend and-,"

"I knew you would want this. My mum did too," Fred said. "I don't like it, though. What if something happens? This time it could be worse."

"Fred, don't you think I'm worrying about you?" Auden asked, turning and sitting on his lap. She felt him wrap her arms around her and pull her to him.

"I know you are, but-,"

"But I know I wouldn't be able to talk you out of not going. You're of age, I'm of age. We can't stop each other from going, even if we want to because we're scared."

"If you stayed here, I would know you're safe," Fred said. Auden felt his breath against her neck.

"And if we both stayed, we'd both know the other was safe, but staying wouldn't feel right to me. Harry's my friend and this isn't just a normal rescue because the Dursleys put bars on his window. This has to do with You-Know-Who."

Fred sighed. "I hate it when you have a point."

Auden turned slightly in Fred's arms so that she could see his face. "You know, we never finished that kiss from earlier."

"You have another point," Fred said with a grin.

"I thought you hated it when I made a point," Auden whispered.

"This might be the exception," Fred whispered back. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers for the first time in a month. Auden turned sideways on his lap and trailed her fingers down the side of his face, resting them lightly on his neck. She could feel his heart beating rapidly.

"I can't believe I ever forgot how wonderful it is to kiss you," she whispered, pulling away slightly.

"I can't believe I survived an entire month without being able to kiss you," Fred answered.

Auden giggled and turned around again, leaning against his chest and resting her head against the side of his neck. They sat there for the next twenty minutes, just enjoying each other's company. Every so often, Auden would tilt her head up and just look at Fred's face. Eventually, he would notice and smile down at her before kissing her. And every time, Auden's stomach would flutter with happiness.

* * *

The next night, the Weasley's living room was filled with people. Mad Eye was sitting in an arm chair by the fireplace, gazing into the flames. Mrs. Weasley, and Auden's parents sat on the couch. Sirius and Ben sat on the arms of the couch. Bill and Fleur were sharing another arm chair, and everyone else sat on the floor with the exception of Lupin, Mr. Weasley and Kingsley who were standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Alright, everyone quiet," Mad-Eye said suddenly. The room became quiet at once. "We're here to finalize the plan to rescue Harry. We'll be doing this on the 27th of July, so if you have other plans, cancel them. This is the most important thing on your agenda right now. You-Know-Who has put the Imperius Curse on Pius Thicknesse, who works in the Ministry. The Ministry and the Death Eaters expect us to move Potter on his birthday, so that's why we're doing it earlier. Any questions so far?"

The room was silent. Everyone stared at Mad-Eye. His magical eye swiveled around the room.

"So, what's the plan?" Bill asked finally.

"We're going to have seven Harry Potter's leaving 4 Privet Drive on the 27th. I can handle getting extra clothes, glasses, and even an owl, a broomstick, and a backpack. Potter doesn't know about this plan, mind you, because I had to change it at the last minute. The people who volunteer to be the seven Harry's will take Polyjuice Potion to turn into Potter. All of the Harry's, including the real one, will be paired up with someone from the Order. Since we can't use Apparition because of the Trace still being on him, and we can't use the Floo Network since it's being watched, we'll be leaving his aunt and uncle's house by using methods of flying. Brooms, and thestrals. Sirius has kindly volunteered to lend us his flying motorbike with the sidecar," Mad-Eye nodded in Sirius' direction.

"Why do we need the motorbike?" George asked.

"Because Hagrid has volunteered to be one of the seven…guardians, I guess they're called. Brooms and thestrals don't hold him up.

"Another question," Hermione said, throwing her hand into the air.

"We aren't in school, Miss Granger, but yes what is it?" Mad Eye asked.

"We have more than seven pairs here."

"Yes, I know. When I originally counted everyone available, I obviously didn't count Miss Weasley, who is underage," Ginny pouted, "and I didn't count Miss Parker because of her amnesia, but now that she's feeling better, she's included. Also, Mundungus Fletcher has volunteered to be in on the plan. He suggested the seven Potter idea to begin with. So there will be eight fake Potters as of today."

"Wait, wait," Mrs. Parker interrupted it. "Mundungus volunteered?"

"And he came up with the idea?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Alright, well I forced him. He wanted to chicken out. And yes, he did mention the idea to me. Strange man, he is. Came up with the idea, but didn't want any part of it."

"So should we divide up the pairs now? So that we're prepared when the day comes?" Lupin asked.

"Good idea, Remus," Mad-Eye said. "Everyone who wants to be one of the Harrys, raise your hand.

Fred, George, Auden, Hermione, Ron and Fleur raised their hands. Ginny even tried to raise her hand too, but Mad-Eye caught her and told her to put her hand down. Then he wrote their names on a piece of paper.

"I'll add Mundungus to the list, since he isn't here. Too busy to come to the meeting, he said. Probably selling those cauldrons. Now, who wants to be one of the guardians?" he asked.

Every adult raised their hand, besides Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Parker. It had already been decided that they were going to stay at the Burrow and wait for everyone.

"Hmm," Mad-Eye said. "Liam and Sirius would you two mind flying on your own? Just for extra protection? Two pairs of extra eyes couldn't hurt."

"No problem," they answered together.

"Also, I forgot to mention that the guardians will be flying their Harry to a first safe house, mainly houses of Order members. For example, Tonk's parents' house, Murial's house, places like that. There will be a Portkey waiting for them that will transport them here."

"Okay, so let's divide up the pairs," Lupin said.

"Right," Mad Eye answered. "What about Arthur and Fred, Remus with George, Kingsley with Hermione, Bill and Fleur, Tonks and Ron, Hagrid with Harry, Ben with Auden, and I'll be with Mundungus. He needs someone to keep an eye on him. Sound good? Is everyone okay with the plan? Does everyone understand it?"

Every head in the room was nodding back at him. "Sounds good," Sirius said, clapping his hands together.

"You know this isn't supposed to be some fun adventure, don't you?" Mad Eye asked seriously.

"Of course I do. This is my godson we're talking about. I take rescuing him very seriously. But I am always up for an adventure, and fun or not, this definitely is one," Sirius replied, smiling.

"If you'd like to think of it that way, then fine," Mad-Eye said his face unsmiling as he stood up from his chair.

That night, Auden slept over at the Weasley's house. Ginny's room was very crowded with four girls in there but nobody seemed to mind. Auden could hear Hermione tossing and turning from her bed.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" she asked sleepily.

"Nothing," Hermione answered sadly.

"That's not a nothing nothing…that's a something nothing," Auden said, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Okay, fine," Hermione said. "Do you remember how I went out for a few hours today?"

"Yeah, why, where'd you go?"

"I went back to my house to modify my parent's memories. When we go with Harry to look for Horcruxes, Death Eater's might come looking for us. The first people they'll talk to are our relatives. I modified my parent's memories so that they don't know they have a daughter. In fact, I changed their whole identity. They now believe that they are named Wendell and Monica Wilkins, a couple whose greatest ambition is to move to Australia. They're leaving tomorrow."

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry," Auden whispered.

"It's okay. When this whole thing's over, if we survive, I can track them down and fix it, but for now, I want them safe and out of the way. It'll keep us safe, too, because You-Know-Who can't question them about us. They'll think that I went away with my parents."

"What about the Weasleys and my parents?" Auden asked.

"I don't think they need to go into hiding. It's too suspicious," Hermione said. "But, I mentioned to Ron that he should transfigure the ghoul in the attic to look like him with spattergroit. It's a horrible illness, so nobody will bother to get close enough to notice that it's really a ghoul. That way, the Death Eaters will think that the reason that Ron isn't at school is because he has spattergroit."

"What about me?" Auden asked.

"Hmm, well, we could go with the story that your amnesia never went away and your parents sent you to an institution."

Auden was silent for a moment. "Wow, we'll seem like one hell of a bunch. I can just picture my parents talking to the Death Eaters. 'Yeah, my daughter's in an institution, the neighbor's youngest son is on his deathbed with spattergroit, their friend moved to Australia, and yeah Harry's in hiding and trying to save the world. Completely normal'."

Hermione let out a small laugh. "When really, all four of us will be out saving the world. I'm glad you got your memory back so that you can come with us."

"I would've wanted to come anyway," Auden said. "So, how many Horcruxes do we need to find? You know more about it than I do. I had amnesia when Harry told you about it."

"Well, apparently there are seven. You-Know-Who split his soul up seven times by killing someone and each piece of his soul was stored in an item that means a lot to him. They're all hidden, too. Harry destroyed one in our second year; the diary. Dumbledore destroyed the ring, and the night he left the school with Harry, the night you got amnesia, they were looking for another one. It was a locket and they found it, but it was a fake. The real one's out there somewhere. After that we have to look for four more."

Auden let out a whistle. "We've got a long way to go."

"Tell me about it," Hermione answered.

The room was silent once again, but now it was Auden who was having trouble falling asleep. She had just thought of another problem. She was going to have to tell Fred that they were leaving. The plan was to leave a day or two after the wedding, so she would have to say something soon. She just knew that he was going to be upset and she couldn't blame him. She had just gotten her memories back after a month of not recognizing anyone and now she was leaving him for an indefinite amount of time to go hunt Horcruxes, a journey that would most likely be dangerous.

Fred was going to protest, she knew it, but she figured he would probably let her go in the end. She half wished he wouldn't, though. She half wished that he would force her to stay safely locked up in her house with him by her side. But the problem with that was that nowhere was safe anymore.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! The lyrics for this chapter are from the song **_**Everything**_** by Michael Buble.**


	5. Chapter 5: Every Second Counts

The morning of July 27th was bright and sunny. It looked like another normal day, but really it was going to be quite the opposite.

Mad Eye had been sure to leak a fake trail that Harry was being moved on his birthday, a few days from now. That way, nobody else would know that Harry was actually being moved a few days earlier. They could only hope that You-Know-Who would believe it.

Auden was feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement as she looked out her window into the yard. She hadn't really been too nervous until she woke up. It was probably because the day was actually here. By the time night fell, she would be getting ready to go on the biggest rescue mission of her life.

She went over to the Weasley's that afternoon, a few hours before they were supposed to leave. Mad Eye was already in the kitchen, practically chewing Mrs. Weasley's ear off about that night.

"Why are you here so early?" Auden asked, grabbing an apple from the kitchen table.

"Going over some last minute things," Mad Eye said, waving his hand dismissively. "Nothing you need to hear right now. You know everything you need to know."

"You should run along upstairs, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. She was trying to hide her worried tone, but she wasn't doing a very good job.

"Go on," Mad-Eye prodded.

Auden rolled her eyes and ran up the stairs as fast towards Fred and George's room. Lately, they had been working a few extra hours to make up for the days they would be taking off for rescuing Harry and the wedding and Auden hadn't seen much of them. They had just returned from their flat this morning and Auden was excited to finally spend some time with them, even if it was before something so serious.

"Hi, what's up?" she asked, barging into the room. George jumped and almost fell off his bed.

"Thanks for knocking," he said with a grin.

"You're welcome," Auden answered, sitting down next to Fred, who immediately put his arm around her and gave her a kiss.

"Ready for tonight?" he asked.

"Definitely," she answered. "What were you talking about before I politely interrupted?"

"Well, we were talking about starting a radio station that supports Harry," George said. "You know, since all the others support the Ministry and You-Know-Who."

"Just you two?" Auden asked.

"No, Lee wants to do it too and we think some of the Order members will agree to make appearances," Fred said. "We were going to ask you if you wanted to do it with us too."

Auden hesitated for a second. It sounded like fun, and she would be able to stay with Fred, but then she wouldn't be able to help Harry find any Horcruxes.

"You were thinking about going with Harry, weren't you?" Fred asked, sighing.

"Well I was, but I'd much rather stay with you and now that you're doing the radio station it isn't as if I'm not doing something to help…"

"You should stay," Fred whispered, brushing a piece of hair away from her face.

"Yeah, and don't worry about Harry. Honestly, you know him. He wants to do everything alone. The less people around him, the better, according to him," George added.

"George," Auden laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Stay?" Fred asked hopefully.

Auden stared at him for a moment as she chewed on her lip. She wanted to stay, but she had also told Hermione she'd be coming with them. What if they needed an extra person to come along? They might need all the help they could get because Auden got the feeling that hunting Horcruxes was not an easy job. But going with them would mean leaving Fred. And she didn't really know if she could do that. "Alright, I'll stay," she finally agreed.

"That was easy. I half expected to have to argue with you."

"Well maybe I am a bit biased about my decision. I am dating one of my options, you know," Auden joked.

Fred laughed. "I'm glad you're staying. Now, what should we call the radio station?"

"What about Potterwatch?" asked George.

"That's a good idea! I like it!" Auden said. "And we could have a weekly password so that it's harder for Death Eaters or people like that to listen."

"Yeah!" Fred said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We should write to Lee tomorrow."

George and Auden both nodded. Auden thought this whole radio show idea sounded like a fun way of rebellion.

"Hey, I heard Mum talking to Tonks the other day," Fred said. "She and Lupin got married."

"They _what_?" Auden asked, her head snapping up to look at Fred.

"Yeah, it was a very private wedding with only a few people I guess, and Tonks just told mum today. She saw me standing outside the door and she laughed and said 'I guess the cat's out of the bag now'," Fred laughed.

"Yeah because of you and your big mouth," Auden said, leaning against his shoulder and smiling.

A few hours later, everyone going to rescue Harry had gathered in the Weasley's front yard. Auden was standing next to Ben who was holding his broom. Mad Eye had gotten a few thestrals and Sirius had brought his motorbike with the sidecar. Hagrid was sitting on the back of the bike.

"Now, Hagrid," said Mr. Weasley. "Sirius and I worked to add this new feature here." He pointed to a purple button. "It's shoots fire from the back of the bike and accelerates the bike to go even faster, but only use it in case of an emergency. Got it?"

"Yes, only in an emergency," Hagrid repeated.

"Are we all ready?" Mad Eye asked. "We all know how to get to Privet Drive?"

Everyone nodded. Auden climbed onto the broom behind her brother. She looked over at Fred, sitting on a broom with his dad and shot him a reassuring smile.

"Okay, let's get going, then," Mad Eye announced.

"Be safe," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Ben, take care of your sister. Make sure she doesn't fall or anything…" Auden's mother said.

"Mum, I've been playing Quidditch for years. I'm pretty sure I'll be fine," Auden rolled her eyes. "But thank you for worrying."

Kingsley counted down from three, and on his signal, they all took off. Auden watched as the lights of the Burrow grew smaller and smaller and she could no longer see her mother or Mrs. Weasley.

"Do you know where they're taking the Dursleys?" Auden yelled to her brother over the wind. Harry's cousin, aunt and uncle had been taking into hiding earlier that day by other members of the Order.

"No idea. They said it was a place where they would be safe from any danger and they would be in the protection of other wizards."

Auden smirked. "They probably loved that news. From what Harry told me, they aren't exactly fond of wizards."

"I can't really blame them after Harry's cousin ate that Ton-Tongue Toffee that Fred dropped," Ben said.

"And after Hagrid gave him a pig's tail," Auden added, trying to move the blame of the Dursley's wizard fear away from Fred. It wasn't _entirely _his fault. Or Hagrid's either, for that matter. The fear had started long before Hagrid and Fred came around. The two of them had just...made it a lot worse.

"We're ready to begin the landing!" yelled Mad-Eye, circling around the group of people. A few minutes later, they landed with multiple thumps in Harry's backyard.

Harry came flying out of the back door, staring open mouthed at all of the people in his front of him.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled, running to hug him. Ron and Auden did the same.

"Auden, how are you?" Harry asked when he saw her. "I heard you got your memory back. That's great!"

"I know, and I'm wonderful," Auden said. "But how are you? How did the Muggles treat you?"

"Same as usual. They were actually rather friendly today. It was all very odd," Harry said. "Er, but why are there so many of you here? I was only expecting a few people."

"I changed the plan," Mad-Eye said. "I left it out of my last letter in case it got intercepted. Let's go in the house now, so I can explain it to you."

Mad Eye led the way into the house and everyone crowded into the kitchen. Tonks immediately made herself comfortable by sitting on the counter. "Guess what, Harry?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she waved her now ringed finger out in front of her.

"You got married?" Harry gasped, looking from her to Lupin.

"Yes, it was very quiet, though. Every else only just found out a few days ago," Lupin said.

"I never got to look at your ring. Let me see," Auden said, grabbing Tonks' hand to inspect the shining ring.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" Tonks asked.

"It is! It's-,"

"Okay, okay, we'll have time for chit chat later," Mad Eye yelled over the talking. Auden moved to Fred's side and he slipped his arm around her waist.

"Okay, so why did you change the plan?" Harry asked.

"Well, Pius Thicknesse has been put under the Imperius Curse. He has made it impossible to connect this house to the Floo Network, put a Portkey here, or Apparate in and out. He says it's all being done for your protection, but that is pointless because your mother's protection does that anyway."

"What he's really done, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, "is prevented you from getting out of here safely."

"Exactly," said Mad Eye. "The second problem is that you still have the Trace on you."

"The what?" Harry asked.

"The Trace!" Mad Eye explained. "The charm that detects magical activity around witches or wizards who are under seventeen. It's the way the Ministry finds out about underage magic. If you, or anyone around you, casts a spell to get us out, the Ministry is going to know and so will the Death Eaters."

"And we can't wait for the Trace to break," Kingsley added, "because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. Basically, the Ministry thinks they've got you good and cornered."

"Yeah, it seems that way to me too," Harry said, crossing his arms.

"But that's why we've come up with another plan," Sirius said, grinning. "It's definitely more exciting than using the Floo Network."

"What did I tell you, Sirius?" asked Mad Eye. "This isn't supposed to be for fun and games!"

"I told you already that I _know_ that," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. Auden saw him cross his eyes at Mad Eye's back.

"I saw that," Mad Eye growled. "Or did you forget about what this eye can do?" He pointed to his magical eye.

"Can we get back on track?" Lupin asked.

"Right, so we're going to use the only things that the Trace can't detect because we don't need spells to use them: brooms, thestrals, and Sirius' motorbike. Now, your mother's protection will only break under two conditions: when you come of age or you no longer call this place home. You understand that you will never live under the same roof as your aunt and uncle again, correct?"

"Yes," Harry said.

"So this time, when you leave, you won't be coming back and the charm will break the second we get out of the range. We chose to do it today instead of on your birthday because leaving on your birthday would mean that You-Know-Who would be expecting you to leave. We leaked a fake trail to the Ministry that we were coming to get you on the thirtieth."

"I feel a 'but' coming," Harry said.

"But," Mad Eye continued, ignoring Harry. "We can't count on You-Know-Who to get the date wrong. It's expected that he'll have a few Death Eaters patrolling the area just in case. That's why we've planned for a bunch of different safe houses with every kind of protection we could manage. They all look as if they are the place we're taking you because they all have some connection with the order. My house, Kingsley's house, Tonks's parents. That's where you'll be going, to Tonks's parents. Understand?"

"Yeah," Harry said slowly, looking slightly confused.

"Then, you'll take a Portkey from there to the Burrow. Any questions?"

"Er, yes, one actually," Harry said. "Won't the Death Eater's catch on when they spot, all of us heading for Tonks's parents?"

"Ah, I forgot to mention the most important part," Mad Eye grinned. "All of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents. There will be eight Harry Potter's flying through the air, each with a partner, a protector from the Order. They will each go to a different safe house. Auden's dad and Sirius will be flying alone, as backup."

"I don't-," Harry began.

Mad Eye reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of Polyjuice Potion. "I take it you're familiar with this?"

"Yes, but—no!" Harry said, looking angry. "Not happening."

"I knew he would take it this way," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone here is over age, Potter," Mad Eye shrugged. "They're all willing to take the risk. We all volunteered for this."

"I don't care if everyone volunteered. If you think I'm going to let all of you risk their lives-," Harry began.

"Not like it's the first time for any of us," Ron shrugged.

"This is different," Harry said. "You're all pretending to be me."

"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," Fred said. Auden looked up at him as he continued. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."

Auden whacked him on the shoulder, but she couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips. She knew he was just trying to lighten the mood and make Harry feel better.

It didn't seem to work, though, because Harry was not smiling. "You need some of my hair. If I don't give it to you, you can't go on with the plan," he said.

"Oh, well, then," George said, rolling his eyes. "That's the end of that plan. There's _no_ chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."

"Yeah, all of us against one person who's not allowed to use magic," Fred added. "No chance at all."

"Fred, stop it," Auden said, attempting to hit him again, but he grabbed her wrist. He squeezed her other hand tighter in his and smirked. For once, Auden wished that they hadn't already been holding hands.

"You seem to forgotten I have feet," she said, smiling mischievously. With that, she raised her leg as if she were going to stomp on Fred's foot

"Alright, alright," Fred said, letting go of her wrist.

"If it has to come to force, it will," Mad Eye was saying to Harry. "We're running out of time. Give me a few of your hairs, now please."

"But this is mad-,"

"It's our only chance," Mad Eye interrupted. "Now please give me some of your hair."

Harry hesitated, and Hermione sighed and took the chance to reach forward and yank out a few of his jet black hairs. "Ow, Hermione!" Harry clapped a hand to the back of his head.

"Sorry," she shrugged, putting the hair in the bottle of potion Mad Eye was holding. Instantly, it turned bright gold.

"Fake Potters line up over here, please," Mad Eye ordered, gesturing in front of him. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Auden, Mundungus, and Fleur lined up where he had pointed. Mundungus looked very unhappy to be there, as if he had been dragged along.

Mad Eye was pulling seven small cups out of his jacket. He passed them out before pouring a bit of the potion into each. "Alright, all at once, then."

"Wait," Fred said whispered as Auden raised her glass to her lips. He turned and began inspecting her face.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm getting one last look before you look like Harry," Fred answered.

"What's wrong with being Harry?" Harry asked, a small smile flickering across his face for the first time.

"Nothing, mate, it's just that I'd rather not be in a relationship with you. No offense, though."

"None taken, the feeling is mutual," Harry answered, smirking.

"Alright, time's ticking!" Mad Eye yelled. "Drink! Now!"

Auden gingerly sniffed the drink before tilting the glass and drinking the potion. The effects were instantaneous and it felt weird. She decided to watch Fred as a distraction. He was looking back at her in shock as his hair changed length and turned to black, he shrunk down to a shorter height, his eyes slowly turned to green, and a scar grew on his head.

Auden could feel her hair shortening and her height changing to a taller one. She felt a tingling on her head that was probably the scar. She reached up to touch it, and sure enough she felt the thin lightning bolt shaped line.

Fred and George were now looking at each other in awe. "Wow, we're identical!" they exclaimed, reaching out and poking each other's face.

"I think I'm still better looking, though," Fred said, turning to look at his reflection in what Muggles called a microwave.

Auden rolled her eyes and glanced at herself in the toaster. It was weird being Harry. The back of her neck felt bare without her long hair, and she could barely see. Harry had the worse eyesight ever.

"Ugh," said a voice to her right. It was Fleur. "Beel, don't look at me, I'm 'ideous."

"No, you aren't," Bill said, smiling.

"Uh, should I be saying thank you or should she?" asked a Harry that Auden assumed to be the real one.

"I've got changes of clothes here. Bigger and smaller sizes depending on what you need. I also have glasses, backpacks and fake owls."

Auden grabbed some bigger clothes from one of the bags. She tossed some smaller ones to Fred and George. At once, everyone began taking off their—Harry's?—clothes.

"I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," Ron said, examining his chest.

"She just wishes it were real," Auden smirked, pulling on a shirt.

"Harry, you have awful eyesight," Hermione said, voicing Auden's earlier thoughts and sliding a pair of glasses over her eyes.

"Alright, are we all dressed?" Mad Eye asked. "Harry, we already established the pairs, and you'll be riding with Hagrid in the sidecar of the motorbike."

Hagrid waved at Harry from the back corner of the kitchen and Harry waved back. "The motorcycle won't be big enough for the two of us. That's why we need the sidecar," Hagrid explained.

"Let's get going, then," Mad Eye said, moving towards the back door.

"Fred, which Harry are you?" Auden asked when they got outside.

"Right here," said Fred's voice to her left. She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Good luck," she whispered.

"If you kiss each other, I'll vomit," the real Harry's voice said from behind them. "I'm already feeling queasy watching myself hold hands with myself."

Auden and Fred dropped hands. "Sorry, Harry," Auden said, smiling. She found her brother and climbed onto the broom behind him. Next to her, Fred climbed onto a broom with his dad.

"Good luck, everyone," Mad Eye shouted. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One…"

Auden glanced at Fred and she saw him look back at her.

"Two…"

"I love you," Fred mouthed. Auden smiled and mouthed it back to him.

"Three!"

Auden heard the motorbike roar to life at the same time Ben shot off from the ground. She tightened her grip around him and focused on the starry sky as it seemed to grow closer and closer. Finally, as they stopped gaining height, she relaxed. They had to be out of the protection limit by now and they hadn't been attacked.

"How are you doing?" Ben yelled back.

"Fine," she answered, the cold wind making her eyes water. Mad Eye had said they were heading for Kingsley's house as their safe destination. She wondered how far away it was.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, they were surrounded by at least thirty hooded figures: Death Eaters. Auden screamed as jets of light started flying. Ben was yelling and the broom accelerated.

"Keep flying, I'll deal with them," Auden yelled. She began shooting spells at the Death Eaters. It was hard to see and aim while flying on a broom and she hoped that she wasn't hitting anyone in the Order.

The broom tilted sideways suddenly and Auden screamed again and held tighter onto Ben. "Sorry," he said, as he turned the broom the right way. "I was avoiding a Stunner."

Auden barely heard him. She had just seen something else that almost made her scream again. You-Know-Who was flying near a broom off in the distance to the left. If he hurt whoever was on that broom, Auden would hurt him. Powerful dark wizard or not, she would bash his face in.

"What is it?" Ben asked, steering the broom.

"You-Know-Who," Auden gasped. She turned to look again, and saw You-Know-Who moving through the air right towards her and Ben. "Ben, he's coming! Go faster!"

"I can't go any faster, Aud," Ben said, his voice panicky.

Auden turned again and saw You-Know-Who gaining on them. He was feet away, closer, closer. He was right next to them, laughing like a deranged hyena. "Are you the real Harry Potter?" he asked. He looked at Ben. "If that's the real Harry Potter, hand him over and I'll leave you unharmed."

"You leave him alone," Auden yelled.

Before You-Know-Who could answer, a Death Eater flew into view. "We've got him," he said.

You-Know-Who's face developed the most evil smirk Auden could imagine and flew off after the Death Eater.

"No, he's going to get Harry!" Auden yelled. "Can we follow him?"

"Are you mental?" Ben asked. "We can't! We have to get to Kingsley's place. We're almost there."

Auden couldn't see anyone from the Order anymore. She felt sick. The Death Eaters had found out the exact date, and Voldemort himself had been there. Who could have let them find out the right date?

She was so preoccupied, she didn't even notice that they were descending towards a house. Ben landed the broom on the front lawn and Auden slid off and sat on the ground. She felt the Polyjuice Potion wearing off.

"Auden, come on," Ben said in a hoarse, scared, whisper. "We have to make our Portkey."

"I can't believe it," Auden said, shaking her head. "If anyone's hurt, I'll-,"

"Yeah, I know and I can't wait to hear all about what you'll do, but come on." Ben pulled her to her feet and pulled her into the house by her arm.

"Hello, you're Ben and Auden?" a woman asked, walking into the front room of the house.

"Yes," Ben said.

"I'm Kingsley's sister, Mariah. He asked me to wait here and show you the Portkey. It leaves in two minutes. Are you hurt?"

Ben shook his head. "I'm not. What about you, Aud?"

"I'm fine," Auden answered, even though she could feel her lip bleeding slightly.

"What happened? You look terrified," Mariah said, leading them through the house.

"We were ambushed by the Death Eaters. They knew the real date," Auden said.

Mariah's eyes grew wide. "Is everyone okay?"

"We don't know," Ben said sadly. "We're going to find out when we get to the Burrow. That's why we're anxious to take the Portkey."

"Portkey, right, here it is," Mariah said, pointing to an old straw hat lying on the bed of the bedroom they were in. Auden and Ben placed their fingers on the hat.

"Thank you so much," Auden said, smiling at Mariah.

"You're welcome," Mariah answered.

The words were barely out of her mouth when Auden felt the Portkey whisking her and her brother away towards the Burrow. She knew that she was supposed to return fourth, after Ron and Tonks, Fred and Mr. Weasley, and Harry and Hagrid. She closed her eyes and prayed that when she opened them she would see everyone at the Burrow, as expected.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and opinions, I really appreciate them!**

**The lyrics in the title are from **_**Live Like We're Dying **_**by Kris Allen.**


	6. Chapter 6: I'm All In For Life

The second Auden felt her feet hit solid ground, she heard cries of joy. She opened her eyes. Her mother, Harry, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley were running towards her and Ben. Hagrid was standing there looking relieved, but shaken.

"Thank goodness you're alright," her mother said, grabbing both Auden and Ben in a hug.

"We just got back ourselves," Harry said gesturing to Hagrid and himself. "Nobody else is back yet."

"What do you mean nobody else is back yet?" Auden gasped. "Weren't Ron, Tonks, Fred and Mr. Weasley supposed to be back by now?"

"They were, but Ron and Tonks missed their Portkey. It came back without them," Ginny said, pointing to an old oil can on the ground.

"That one," Harry said tentatively, staring at Auden, "was supposed to have been Mr. Weasley's and Fred's, but they missed it too, apparently."

"George and Lupin should be back in about a minute if they made it," Ginny whispered.

"Come on Aud," Ben said, looking at Auden's pale face. "Let's go inside and sit down." He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but he was interrupted by Ginny gasping and pointing behind them.

Auden spun around to see Lupin and George appearing a few feet away. Auden shared a look with Harry and Ginny. They had all seen it. George was unconscious, covered in blood and being supported by Lupin.

Harry instantly ran forward to help carry George inside. Auden and Ginny nervously followed them. It was too dark outside to actually see what had happened to George. When Lupin and Harry rested George on the couch, the light from the living room fell on George's face and Auden's hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh, George," Mrs. Weasley gasped, kneeling by his head.

George's right ear was missing and the whole side of his head and neck were covered in blood.

Auden knelt down beside Mrs. Weasley. Her stomach was in knots. George was practically her family. He was one of her best friends. He was her boyfriend's twin brother. It was terrifying seeing him like this.

Her head snapped up as her attention was turned to Lupin, who had roughly grabbed Harry's arm. "What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" he asked, shaking Harry slightly.

"A grindylow in a tank, wasn't it?" Harry answered quietly, his eyes wide.

"Wha' was that about?" asked Hagrid, ducking in through the back door. He looked as alarmed and confused as everyone else.

"I had to check, Harry, I'm sorry," Lupin said, staring around at the faces staring up at him. "We were betrayed. Voldemort knew you were being moved tonight and the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You could have been an imposter."

"What abou' me then? Are you goin' to check me?" Hagrid asked.

"You're half giant," Lupin responded. "Polyjuice Potion is designed for human use only."

"No one in on the plan would have told Voldemort we were moving tonight," Harry said. "Voldemort only caught up with me towards the end. If someone had told him the plan, he would have known right away I was the one with Hagrid."

"Voldemort caught up with you?" Lupin asked.

"He caught up to Ben and me too," Auden said. "But then a Death Eater came to tell him something and he left. Probably to go after Harry. You didn't see him?"

"No," Lupin shook his head. "How did you get away, Harry?"

Harry launched into a story how the Death Eaters had seemed to recognize him as the real Harry, but when Voldemort came, they had reached the safety barriers of Tonks's parent's house and Voldemort had disappeared.

"How did they recognize you?" Ben asked.

"Did you do something to give it away?" asked Auden's mother.

Harry thought for a second. "Well, I saw Stan Shunpike and I didn't want to kill him so I disarmed him."

"Harry, Death Eaters have been warned that Expelliarmus has become sort of a signature move for you. It saved you from Voldemort before, so that's why they think so. It was a very unusual way of overcoming Voldemort. You should have at least Stunned Stan if you didn't want to kill him."

"I won't blast people out of the way just because they're there. That's Voldemort's job," Harry said, crossing his arms.

There was a silence in the living room before the door burst open. It was Auden's dad and Sirius.

"You're okay!" Auden's mum screamed, running to hug her husband.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed.

"What happened to your cheek?" Auden asked, standing up and walking over to them. Sirius had a small scrape on the side of his face.

"Oh, that," Sirius said, touching it lightly. "One of the Death Eaters used Sectumsempra. I don't know who he was aiming for, but the spell just hit my cheek."

"George," Auden said. "He was aiming for George."

"And the Death Eater was Snape," Lupin said.

"What?" Harry asked. "You never said that before."

"Well, yeah, that's who it was."

"First Dumbledore, now George," Harry said angrily. "If I ever see Snape again-,"

"Harry, calm down for a second please," Sirius looked half lost. "Auden, you said he was aiming for-," Sirius stopped when he saw George lying on the couch with Mrs. Weasley patting his head with a damp rag. "If I ever see Snivellus again, I'll-," he began, his hands clenched into fists.

"See?" Harry said defiantly. "It's always Snape."

"Will George be okay?" Auden asked, kneeling back down next to Mrs. Weasley. It was Lupin who answered her question.

"I think so," he said. "Although there's no chance of replacing his ear when it's been cursed off like that."

Auden sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. While she was glad George was alive, she was still so upset. And that was nothing compared to what Fred was going to feel once he found out. And besides that, Fred himself wasn't here yet and Auden was worried.

Suddenly, there was another noise in the backyard. Lupin shot out through the door and Sirius and Harry followed, bumping into each other at the door and awkwardly looking at each other trying to decide who should go first. Finally, Sirius gestured for Harry to go and one after the other they disappeared into the darkness.

"That should be Kingsley and Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said. "Unless it's Fred and Arthur…"

"They're fine," Auden said, trying to sound as if she were absolutely positive. "They'll be back soon." She picked up another rag and began helping Mrs. Weasley clean George's face, but it was more of a distraction. Fred was supposed to be back ages ago. Where was he?

Harry, Sirius, and Lupin returned minutes later followed by Kingsley and Hermione.

"Oh my," Hermione gasped when she saw George. The bleeding had stopped now and there was just a gaping, empty hole in the side of George's head.

Mrs. Weasley waved the dirty rags away with her wand. "Ginny, go upstairs and get me some bandages please, and some cleaning potion. We don't want this to get infected."

Wordlessly, Ginny disappeared up the stairs as Hermione perched on the arm of the couch. "How is he?"

"I can't make it grow back," Mrs. Weasley said as Harry joined them around the couch. "But it could have been worse. At least he's alive."

"Yeah thankfully," Ben said, from where he was sitting in an arm chair, looking worried. "I was glad we made it to Kingsley's place when we did. Things were crazy out there."

Just then, Ginny returned with the bandages and the cleaning potion. Mrs. Weasley took them and began cleaning out George's ear.

There was suddenly a crash from the kitchen. "I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!" It was Mr. Weasley's voice. Auden relaxed slightly. That meant that Fred was back.

Sure enough, Fred was right behind Mr. Weasley as they ran into the room. Fred skidded slightly as he sped around the corner. Auden fought the urge to jump up and hug him just yet. He deserved to worry about George first.

"Oh, Arthur, thank goodness," Mrs. Weasley said, hugging her husband.

"How is he?" Mr. Weasley asked, hugging Mrs. Weasley back and standing at the arm of the couch near George's head. Fred stood at the back of the couch, looking down at George with a face as white as a ghost. Auden watched his expression from her spot on the ground. She could only imagine what he was feeling right now and the look on his face nearly broke her heart.

"George?" Mr. Weasley was asking in a whisper. Auden looked down again. George's eyelids were slowly opening.

"How do you feel, Georgie?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

George reached up and felt the hole in the side of his head. His mouth turned up into a grin. "Saintlike," he whispered.

"What?" Auden asked in disbelief.

"What's wrong with him?" Fred whispered hoarsely. "Is his mind affected?"

"I'm saintlike," George said again, looking up at Fred. "See, I'm holy. Holey, Fred, get it?"

Auden didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She let out a noise that was somewhere in the middle before leaning back against the coffee table, bringing her knees to her chest and burying her head in her arms. Mrs. Weasley was sobbing into her husband's chest and Ben was roaring with laughter at George's comment.

"Pathetic," Fred whispered, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "With the whole wide world of ear related humor before you, you go for holey?"

"Oh well," George said, grinning. "I reckon I'm still better looking than you." He looked down at Auden as she raised her head off of her arms. "Hi Aud, you look especially pale this evening. Is it because of my missing ear? Don't worry, it had a good life. Now it's probably lying on the ground for some Muggle children to find."

"George," Auden groaned, laughing and rolling her eyes. She hadn't even realized Fred had dashed around the couch and knelt beside her until he grabbed her in a bone crushing hug and buried his head in her neck.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered.

Auden wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I know and I'm glad you're okay, too. I was so worried. I came back and you weren't here yet."

"I know...we missed our Portkey and then it took a while to get back," Fred answered, raising his head and looking at Auden. "But I'm here now." He flashed her a watery smile and kissed her nose.

"Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled around my sick bed?" George asked.

"They aren't back yet, George," Harry said quietly.

George's face fell. Auden saw Harry motion to Ginny and Hermione to follow him outside. Ben ended up following them a few minutes later.

Then, there was a loud outburst from the people in the yard. "I bet that's Ron and Tonks!" Mrs. Weasley cried as she, Auden's parents, and Mr. Weasley ran out the door. The room was now empty except for Auden, Fred, and George.

Fred stood up from the floor, picked up George's legs, and sat down, putting George's legs back down across his lap.

"Hey, I'm injured," George said.

"Sorry Georgie, just because you lost your ear doesn't mean I have to be super nice to you now," Fred said with a smile. "I wanted to sit on the couch and you were in the way."

George poked Fred's stomach with his foot. "At least let your girlfriend sit down. Whatever happened to chivalry these days?"

"I'm fine, George," Auden said.

"No, come on," Fred argued, holding out his hand. She took it and he pulled her on the couch next to him.

"Crazy night, huh?" Auden asked.

"That's an understatement," Fred answered. "How's your ear, George?"

"I can't 'ear' you!" George said loudly.

Auden giggled and soon she and Fred were both laughing at George's joke. Suddenly, the door opened and everyone entered the living room again, including Tonks, Ron, Bill and Fleur. Tears were flowing from Tonks's eyes and everyone else looked either shocked, sad, or both.

"What happened?" Fred asked, scanning everyone's expression.

"Mad Eye," Bill said, "he's dead."

"He's what?" George asked.

"Voldemort went for them first," Lupin said. "And Mundungus panicked and disappeared, giving it away that he wasn't the real Harry. But this was after Mad Eye was hit with the killing curse and fell from the broom."

"Yes, we saw eet all, Beel and I," Fleur said sadly, sinking into a chair.

"I know what you're thinking," Bill said, "and I wondered that too, on the way back here. They all seemed to be expecting us, didn't they?"

"Yeah, and Mundungus didn't want to be in on this," Ben said.

"But he can't have betrayed us," Bill argued. "They didn't know there would be seven Harrys, and in case you forgot, it was Mundungus who suggested that we use the Polyjuice Potion. Why wouldn't he have told them the main idea? I think he panicked, that's it."

"You-Know-Who acted just like Mad Eye thought he would," sniffed Tonks. "Mad Eye said he'd expect Harry to be with the most skilled Aurors."

"Why did he come near me and my sister then?" asked Ben. "I'm not an Auror and I just joined the Order a few years ago."

"He had probably already gone after Mad Eye and Kingsley by then," Bill said. "And you were the next people he saw."

"You-Know-Who caught up to you?" Fred asked, looking at Auden in alarm.

She nodded. "But then the Death Eaters figured out who was the real Harry and came to get him, so he left us alone."

Fred let out a groan and pulled Auden so that her back was leaning against his side as he nuzzled into her neck. "Do you realize what could have happened to you if he hadn't been called away?"

"Yeah, but they went after the real Harry," Auden said, glancing at her friend over her shoulder. "And I was scared that they would actually catch up with him." She turned back to Fred. "But they didn't. And they didn't get me. I'm fine." She turned her head to press a kiss to Fred's jaw.

"I want to know how zey knew we were moving 'Arry tonight, but not zee whole plan?" asked Fleur. "I bet somebody let sometheeng slip, just the date and notheeng else."

"No," Harry said suddenly. "I trust all of you and I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort."

There was a silence that followed his words until Fred spoke. "Well said, Harry."

"Yeah, ear ear," George added. Auden saw the corners of Fred's mouth twitch at George's words and she had to smile too.

"Well," Lupin said suddenly, standing up from his chair. "There's work to do. I'll ask Kingsley if-,"

"No, I'll do it," Bill interrupted.

Lupin nodded. "And I'll come with you," he said.

"Do what?" Tonks and Fleur asked.

"We have to get Mad Eye's body," Bill answered, kissing Fleur's forehead.

"Right now?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yeah, unless you want the Death Eaters to get it," Lupin said sadly. He and Bill said good bye and walked out the back door. Auden stared after them, chewing on her lip. Saying she was scared for them was an understatement. She was terrified. She didn't want anybody to leave the house and go wandering off anywhere. She wanted everyone to stay here where it was safe.

"I have to go, too," Harry said, looking around the room.

"Harry, no, that's stupid," Auden said, turning to shoot him a look.

"Way to tell it like it is, Aud," Ron snorted.

"Well, I'm serious," she said, still staring at Harry.

"Yes, what are you talking about, Harry dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked gently.

"I can't stay here," he said. "I'm putting you all in danger by staying."

"But the whole point of tonight was to get you here safely. This is where you're supposed to be," Mrs. Weasley said. "And Bill and Fleur have agreed to get married here instead of in France and-,"

"If Voldemort finds out I'm here-,"

"Why should he?" asked Fred.

"There are a dozen places you might be. He doesn't know what safe house you went to," Mr. Weasley added.

"I'm not worried about me! I'm worried about all of you!" Harry looked around the room again.

"We know that," Auden's mother said quietly, "but it would make everything seem rather pointless if you left, Harry,"

"Yeah, like my missing ear," George said. "I was rather fond of it, although, now I should be able to retain information better because it can't go in one ear and out the other. It'll have no choice but to stay in my brain."

Fred laughed at George's words and buried his face in Auden's shoulder to contain himself. She could feel his chest shaking against her back as he laughed and she smiled to herself. She loved Fred's laughter. Actually, any laughter right now was extremely comforting and very well appreciated.

Harry remained quiet for a moment. He seemed a little calmer now, but that didn't stop him from slipping out the back door.

"We'll go talk to him," Ron said, gesturing to himself and Hermione as they left to follow Harry.

"I can't believe he wants to leave," Hagrid said from his spot in the corner.

"He has good intentions. He never likes to be a burden," Mrs. Weasley said, shaking her head. She inhaled before slowly letting it out. "Anyway, I think we should all go to bed. It's been a long night and tomorrow we have to continue to prepare for the wedding."

Everyone agreed and stood up to head home or to their bedrooms.

"Auden, come on," her dad said, tilting his head towards the door. "Say goodbye to Fred and let's get going."

"Can't I just meet you at home?" she asked quietly as she and Fred got to their feet.

"No, I'd rather you walk home with us," her father answered. "After everything that's happened tonight-"

"Liam, let her stay for a few minutes," Auden's mother said quietly, pulling on her husband's arm. "She'll be okay. The protective charms are stronger than ever and they cover our house as well as the Burrow."

"But-"

"Auden, don't stay too long and make sure you come straight home," her mother ordered before dragging her father out the door.

Auden half smiled. It wasn't as if she had anywhere else to go but home after this. She knew her parents worried, as they should, but like her mother had said, the charms were stronger than ever. She could manage walking from the Burrow to her house safely.

Fred reached out and put a finger under her chin, slowly turning her to look at him. "I love you," he whispered, once she was looking up at him. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. He looked down at her before frowning slightly. "And I don't like that you're wearing Harry's clothes."

Auden smiled. "Well, as soon as I get home, I'll be putting your sweatshirt on. Is that better?"

"Mm," Fred agreed, leaning forward and kissing her. It was extremely gentle at first, but after a moment, he was kissing her almost hungrily.

"What was that all about?" Auden whispered after he had stopped and pulled away slightly.

"I could have lost you tonight," Fred mumbled against her lips.

Auden smiled and lightly kissed him. "But you didn't."

"I know, and I'm so glad," he answered.

"I love you," Auden whispered, lightly running a hand through his hair. "And I should be getting back now before my parents come back over themselves to get me."

"I'll watch you from the back door to make sure you get home okay," Fred said. "You know, just in case."

After kissing Fred one last time, Auden quietly slipped out the back door and headed for her house. When she reached it, she turned in the doorway to see Fred silhouetted against the Burrow's back door. She smiled and waved. Fred waved back, making her smile grow even wider.

* * *

Auden tossed and turned in her bed that night and when she did fall asleep, she dreamt that Snape was shooting spells at the Weasleys one by one and cursing off arms and legs. She woke up with her sheets in a weird twisted pile, and tears on her cheeks.

She got out of bed, tiptoed to her closet and pulled out her Firebolt. Then, she silently made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. She left a note on the table before leaving through the front door. Once outside, she hopped on her broom and flew to Fred's window. It had to be almost three in the morning and knowing the twins, they would be sleeping like rocks. She knocked on the window anyway.

The lights were off so that she couldn't see inside. There was no movement. She sighed and knocked again. The light came on this time and Fred appeared at the window, rubbing his eyes.

"Auden?" he mumbled, throwing the window open. "What are you doing out there?"

"I couldn't sleep. Can I come in?"

"No, you can't," Fred said sarcastically. He smiled and moved aside. Auden carefully flew into the room and landed beside Fred's bed.

"George sleeping okay?" she asked. She wondered what it was like having an ear missing and trying to do normal everyday things.

"Yeah, he's fine. A missing ear could never mess up his sleep schedule," Fred said. There was a pause. "Have you been crying?" he asked, stepping closer and rubbing his thumb along Auden's cheek.

"Yeah, I guess so. I think I was crying in my sleep."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Fred asked, climbing into his bed and patting the space at his side.

"Yeah," Auden answered, crawling into bed next to him. "Snape was cursing off your family's arms and legs. I couldn't do anything to stop him and I woke up when he got to you."

"Oh, Aud," Fred said, stroking her hair and holding her close.

"It's okay if I just stay with you for tonight, right?"

"Of course," Fred whispered, kissing her temple. Auden snuggled into his side and fell asleep within a few minutes with Fred's arms around her.

* * *

**A/N: The lyrics in this title are from the song ****_All In_**** by Lifehouse.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7: I'm Yours

"Wake up!" Mrs. Weasley called, flinging open the bedroom door. She didn't seem surprised to find Auden in Fred and George's room. Maybe she hadn't even noticed in her wedding planning frenzy.

"Mum, what time is it," Fred mumbled. Auden felt him roll away from her. She wanted to grab his arm and pull him back. She wanted to go back to bed.

"It's seven in the morning and we have things to do. Get up, now! Fred and George, I want you outside, cleaning up the yard with your father. Auden, you can help Ginny with the laundry." She left the room.

Auden sat up and rubbed her eyes. Apparently, Mrs. Weasley had noticed her. And she hadn't been afraid to immediately put her to work.

"Well, that was a nice wake up call," Fred said, stretching. He reached over and cupped Auden's cheek in his hand, smiling softly. "Morning."

"Morning," she muttered, rubbing a hand across her eyes.

Suddenly, Mrs. Weasley was back, and she was waving around a wooden spoon. "George, don't pretend you didn't hear me. You still have one ear left which works perfectly well. Get out of bed now." She turned on her heel and marched down the stairs.

"I guess that didn't work," George grumbled, getting out of bed.

Auden smiled as she opened the window and stuck her head out, holding up her wand as she did so.

"Auden, why are you leaning out the window?" Fred asked.

"I need clothes. I don't want to go around in my pajamas all day," she answered. She used the summoning spell and seconds later a shirt and a pair of jeans flew into her arms. "I guess I'll go change. See you later."

"If we're still alive after all the work mum is going to have us do," Fred mumbled.

Auden barely saw Fred at all in the next three days. Mrs. Weasley kept them all incredibly busy. Auden noticed that she was keeping Ron, Harry, and Hermione separated and never gave them jobs together. It was probably so they couldn't make plans to leave. Auden guessed that Fred had said something about her staying to do the radio show because Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to care if Auden spent any time doing chores with the others.

"Have you told them you aren't going?" Ginny asked, as they hung up the laundry the day before Harry's birthday.

"No," Auden said. "I was going to go at first, but then the radio show opportunity came up. They'll understand. I hope. It's not like I'm ditching them for Fred or because I'm scared. It's because I'd rather do the radio show and help out that way."

"Ginny," Mrs. Weasley sighed, coming up behind them. "You hung that shirt up crooked." She fixed the shirt and turned to face them. "Harry's told me he doesn't want us to go through too much for his birthday and I know if it was up to him we wouldn't celebrate at all, but I thought a nice little dinner would work out. Sirius can come, and Remus and Tonks, and even Hagrid."

"Sounds good, mum," Ginny said.

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley nodded, looking rather stressed. "I'll bake a cake for him. Do either of you know what kind he likes?"

"Chocolate?" Auden suggested.

"No, that's what you like, Auden dear," Mrs. Weasley said, more to herself than Auden and Ginny.

"Yes, but maybe Harry likes chocolate too," Auden shrugged. "I never really asked."

"Well, I'm sure whatever you make is fine, Mum," Ginny interrupted. "Harry's not fussy."

"Yes I'm sure you're right." Mrs. Weasley began walking back up to the house.

"I swear all this stress is going to drive her right over the edge," Ginny said, hanging up a pair of pants. "Remind me to never get married and put her through this again."

"There will still be six of you after Bill gets married. I don't think one less wedding will help your mum's stress level," Auden pointed out.

"Did you just say 'help mum's stress level'?" Fred's voice asked from behind Auden. "Whatever you have in mind, I'm all for it."

Auden and Ginny turned to see Fred walking towards them, his hands in his pockets.

"Ginny decided on no more marriages in the family," Auden smirked, sliding her arms around his waist as he stopped in front of her.

"Hmm, I guess I'm not all for it," he said with a wink as Auden blushed. "I'll be glad when mum can finally relax. She just found out that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all up in Ron's room together. I thought she was going to explode."

"And you escaped while you could, right?" Ginny guessed.

"You got it," Fred answered. "Fleur's parents and sister should be getting here soon. Dad has to go get them over on that hill over there, since all the charms prevent them from traveling by magic anywhere within the boundaries."

"I can't believe Bill's getting married," Auden said, staring out at the distant hill.

"Me neither," Ginny sighed. "It's weird because he's always been the oldest and I expected him to go off and do his own thing and get married first, but at the same time I didn't. I always thought he'd be around to read us bedtime stories and play Exploding Snap with us."

"And now he's getting married to Phlegm, right?" Auden teased.

Ginny blushed. "She's not as bad as I thought. I've been trying to be nicer to her. She really does love Bill...and with everything that's been happening, it's silly to act so hostile over the fact that we think they've been rushing into things."

Auden smiled. "Very true," she agreed.

The next morning, Auden excitedly went over to the Weasley's to give Harry his birthday present. She hadn't been sure what to get him, so she had finally decided on a stack of pictures for him to add to his photo album that Hagrid had given him during first year. She had carefully stuck them in a colorful bag and she carried it with her as she walked the short distance next door.

When Auden arrived, Harry was in the middle of opening one of the presents from the pile on the table. Ron was standing behind him, leaning against the doorframe.

"It's a tradition to give a wizard a watch on his seventeenth birthday," Mrs. Weasley said as Harry pulled out the watch. "I'm afraid it's not new like Ron's. It actually belonged to my brother Fabian and he wasn't very careful with his things. It's a bit dented on the back but it's-," Harry interrupted her by getting up and giving her a gentle hug. "It's great," he said. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," Mrs. Weasley said, patting his cheek.

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" Auden said, handing him her gift. "I thought you could put those in that album from Hagrid," she added as he opened the bag.

"Yeah, I'll do that. These are great!" Harry was flipping through the small stack of pictures. Bill, Sirius, and Fleur's dad, who had all been sitting around the table, moved behind Harry to look at the pictures.

"Look, there's me and Ron with Hagrid, and there's one of me and you, Sirius," Harry said. Auden watched as he continued to look through them until he finally got to the last one, which was Auden's favorite.

The picture was of her, Ron, Hermione, and Harry during their first year in front of the lake. Hermione was sprawled on her stomach, reading from a book. In the moving picture, she would keep glancing up and smiling at the camera. Auden was sitting next to her, back to back with Ron. They kept glancing at the camera and smiling, too. Harry was just behind them, sitting on his broomstick, hovering just slightly above the ground before touching back down and going in the air again.

"Neville took that, remember?" Auden grinned.

"Yeah, I do. These are amazing, Aud," Harry said, putting the pictures aside and giving her a hug.

"What did you get him, Ron?" Auden asked, as Hermione raced into the room.

"A book," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"No, seriously, what did you get him?" Auden asked.

"A book," Ron repeated.

"On what?"

"It's a secret."

"Okay, fine," she answered slowly. That was sort of odd. It wasn't like Ron and Harry to give each other books as gifts and the fact that Ron wouldn't tell her what it was about was definitely weird. But she decided it wasn't important or worth pestering him about, so she dropped the subject.

After Harry had opened his gifts, he followed Hermione upstairs, Ron and Auden right behind them.

"I've almost finished packing," Hermione said. "I'm just waiting for Ron's underpants to come out of the wash."

"My—my what?" Ron stuttered.

"Your underpants, Ronald, it's not a dirty word, or are you still five years old?" Hermione asked. "Now, Auden, do you have-?"

"Um, I don't think I'm coming," Auden said. They had come to a stop on the stairs and everyone was looking at her. "I wanted to, but see, Fred, George and Lee are doing a radio station to support Harry and I'm going to help them with that."

"That's a good idea. Maybe you two should help with that too," Harry said, looking at Ron and Hermione.

"No, Harry," Hermione sighed. "We're coming with you. Anyway, Auden, are you sure you aren't coming?"

Auden took a deep breath. "I'm sure. I'm sorry. I'm not ditching you, I swear, I just…I want to do the radio show."

"No, I get it," Hermione said. "It might work out better that way, actually."

Auden nodded as they continued up the stairs. As they passed Ginny's room, the door opened. "Harry?" she asked. "Can you come in here a moment?"

"Er, sure, yeah," Harry said, following her into the room.

Ron started craning his neck to see inside, but Hermione and Auden pushed him up the stairs just as the door snapped shut.

"What are they doing in there?" Ron asked. "You know that's my sister, right? My sister and my best friend. I thought he dumped her, anyway."

"You know why he did," Hermione said, "and it wasn't because he didn't like her anymore. Now just shut up."

"Fine," Ron said as they reached his room. He started opening the door, but then quickly turned and darted past Auden and Hermione.

"Ron!" Auden yelled, racing after him, Hermione at her heels. They were too late to stop him, though. He barged into Ginny's room. Harry and Ginny jumped apart, having obviously just been kissing.

"Oh, hi," Ron said. "Sorry for interrupting."

"Ron, you complete idiot!" Auden said. "Sorry Harry, really." With that, she grabbed Ron by the ear, something she had seen his mother do when they were kids, and dragged him up the stairs.

They passed George on the way up. He was just leaving his bedroom and he had a toothbrush sticking out of his ear. "Hi," he said with a cheery wave, heading towards the bathroom.

"George," Auden said slowly. She let go of Ron, who immediately ran away from her up to his room, followed by Hermione. Auden continued to stare at George. "You know you have a, uh-," she gestured to his ear.

"Oh, this?" George took the toothbrush out. "Yeah, I know. The hole is a pretty convenient spot to store things. I think Fred's jealous." He shrugged and headed into the bathroom. Auden knocked on Fred's door.

"Come in," he said.

Auden opened the door. Fred was sitting on his bed, playing with a small object that looked like a gumball. "What's that?" she asked.

"Balloon Gum," Fred answered. "George and I think we've gotten it right, but we haven't tested it yet."

"What does it do?"

"When you blow a bubble, the bubble grows to be the size of a slightly larger than normal balloon. Then, it floats into the air, taking the person with it. Whenever you want to come down, you just pop the bubble."

"Wouldn't that cause the person to get hurt when they fall?" Auden asked.

"No, because the balloon won't take them up that high, just a few feet. We wanted to make them go higher, but we thought of people getting hurt too, and we didn't want to get into any legal trouble, so we fixed it," Fred answered. "Want to try it?"

"If you try it first," Auden answered, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Ah, I thought you would say that," Fred smirked, resting his forehead against hers. "I wonder if we can get a few minutes of peace without mum interrupting us."

"Doubt it," Auden whispered.

Fred didn't answer, he just kissed her, slowly and gently, sliding his arm around her back.

"Fred, are you up there?" Mrs. Weasley yelled. "I need you and George to help me set up the tables for Harry's birthday dinner! With Charlie coming any minute, and Hagrid, Lupin, Sirius and Tonks coming later, we definitely won't all fit in the kitchen."

Fred let out an exasperated groan and stood up. "Coming, mum!" He helped Auden stand up and kissed her cheek.

"She has wonderful timing, your mum," Auden smirked.

"Tell me about it," Fred said, turning to leave. Auden grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"One more for the road?" she asked.

Fred just smiled and leaned in closer for another kiss.

"Fred!" screeched Mrs. Weasley.

"Ugh, let's go," Fred said, pulling away, "before she rips all her hair out."

Charlie arrived that afternoon, followed by the other guests not too long after. Bill had waited for them at the nearby hill so that he could walk them back to the house.

"Auden, long time no see," Charlie said, grabbing her in a headlock and ruffling her hair. "Heard you fell in love with Fred. Congratulations, you've done the impossible."

Auden wrenched herself out of his grip and swatted him playfully. "How're the dragons treating you?"

"They're great. They're a lot of fun to work with, but there are some that are a real challenge. Your brother would know," he smirked. "He loves working with the challenging ones."

Auden groaned. "He would."

"Don't worry. I keep an eye on him," Charlie grinned.

"You'd better," she answered.

"We're almost ready to start," Mrs. Weasley announced, hurrying outside. "We're just waiting for Arthur and Liam…"

"Here they come," Auden's mother said, pointing. "Who's that with them?"

Auden's dad and Mr. Weasley were walking up the road towards the house, but they weren't alone. Another man was with them.

"It's the Minister," Lupin said quietly. "Tonks and I shouldn't be here. We're sorry, Harry, but we have to go. The ministry is very anti-werewolf at the moment." With that, he grabbed Tonks's hand and pulled her away towards the bushes on the other side of the yard.

"Sorry to intrude," the Minister said as he entered the yard, "but I'd like to speak to Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Mr. Harry Potter."

"Why?" asked Ron.

"I'll tell you when we're in a more private place," Scrimgeour said. He glanced at Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, yes! The living room should be fine. Right this way," she said, walking towards the house.

Auden and Fred looked at each other. Why in the world was the Minister here? They found out about twenty minutes later, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned.

"I'm sorry again for the interruption," Scrimgeour announced. "I'll be going now. No need to see me out, Arthur."

"What did he want?" Mr. Weasley asked once the Minister had left.

"He wanted to give us what Dumbledore left us in his will," Harry answered.

"Dumbledore left you something in his will?" George asked.

"All three of you?" added Bill.

"Apparently," shrugged Ron.

The three items were passed around the table during dinner. Harry had been left the snitch that he had caught in his first Quidditch match, and also the sword of Gryffindor, but the Ministry had decided against giving it to him just yet. Ron had been left an object that looked like a lighter. Apparently it turned the lights on and off. Lastly, Hermione had been left a book of old wizarding children's stories called _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._

"I remember those stories," Charlie said, grinning as he looked at the book.

"You've heard of them?" asked Hermione.

"Of course I have," Charlie answered. "They're classic children's tales."

"I've never heard of them," Hermione answered.

"Never?" Ron asked in shock. "None at all? You must have heard of them. You know, 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune,' The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,' 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'…"

"Babbity who?" Hermione asked, giggling.

"Come on, everyone knows Babbitty Rabbitty," Ron said.

"Ron, Hermione was brought up by Muggles," Auden reminded him.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "I heard completely different stories like 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' and 'Cinderella.'"

"What's that, an illness?" asked Ron.

"No," Hermione said with a frown. "It's actually my favorite fairy tale."

"What's it about?" Auden asked.

"A girl named Cinderella who is raised by her evil stepmother and stepsisters and she has to do all their chores. They won't let her go to the ball, but then her fairy godmother comes and gives Cinderella a beautiful dress to wear to the ball, but she has to be home by midnight or else the spell will end. She goes to the ball and has a wonderful time, but then the clock strikes midnight and she runs away, leaving behind one of her glass slippers and-,"

"Glass slippers?" interrupted Ron. "How did she walk in those without breaking them?"

"If Cinderella was real and if she were here, she would've slapped you," Auden teased. "You basically just called her fat."

"No, I'm thinking realistically," Ron argued.

"I don't know how she walked in them," Hermione sighed. "It's a fairy tale!"

"Go on with the story, Hermione," Ginny said. She looked interested in how it ended and Auden had to admit that she was, too. She had never heard a Muggle story before.

"Anyway, the prince finds the glass slipper and goes around the village trying it on every girl to see who it belonged to. Finally, he found Cinderella and the shoe fit perfectly and they lived happily ever after."

"Zat was lovely, 'Ermione," Fleur sighed. "A beautiful story."

"Too bad that's not real life," Harry said.

"I agree," Sirius snorted. "But let's not think about anything but Harry's birthday tonight and the wedding tomorrow. Two things worth celebrating."

Auden squeezed Fred's hand under the table and smiled at him.

Later, Mrs. Weasley brought out a Snitch shaped cake and they all sang 'Happy Birthday.' Harry blew out the candles in one breath and everyone cheered.

* * *

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Auden asked Fred after the party had ended and he had walked her over to her house.

"See that star? The North Star?" Fred asked, pointing to the star and ignoring Auden's question.

"What about it?" Auden asked, looking at the star Fred was pointing to.

"It's my favorite star. Want to know why?"

"Why?" Auden asked, smiling as she looked back at him.

"Because it's the brightest," Fred said. "It's like all the other stars are nice, but they're kind of shy and that star isn't afraid to be super bright and obnoxious."

Auden laughed. "I never thought of that. It's kind of like you and George."

Fred smiled and looked at her. "Exactly. And yes, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm wearing my best dress robes that are very stuffy and uncomfortable."

"And I'm wearing a pretty dress, but I'm not telling you a thing about it until tomorrow. I want you to be surprised," Auden said.

"Tell me. Please?" Fred asked.

"No," Auden answered, lightly kissing him. "Wait and see."

"Tell me," Fred said, locking his arms around her. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me."

Auden tried to pry his arms away, but he was too strong. "Let go," she giggled.

"No," he insisted, laughing. He pulled her to him and looked down at her. "Tell me what your dress looks like."

"How about you use your imagination?" she suggested. "And tomorrow you'll see it for real."

"Why do you insist on torturing me?" Fred muttered.

Auden grinned. "It's fun."

Fred shook his head at her and let her go. "You're twisted."

"I learned from the best," Auden replied, patting his cheek. She turned and walked to the back door of her house, looking over her shoulder at Fred when she reached it.

"You're so proud of yourself, aren't you?" Fred asked, crossing his arms and smirking.

"Mm," she nodded, reaching for the doorknob. She paused and just looked at him for a moment. He was still standing with his arms crossed and an expression of amusement, but also one of love. It felt good to see him look at her like that. "I love you, Freddie," she finally whispered.

"Love you too, Aud."

Grinning, Auden blew him a kiss before disappearing into her house.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to anyone who's reviewed or added my stories to their story alert/favorites or added me to their favorite author list :) You guys are awesome.**

**The song for this chapter is **_**I'm Yours**_** by Jason Mraz. **

**Oh, and a couple of people said how much they liked Auden's name and I just thought I'd share that I read the name in a book, and then I found it on a name website too, but I instantly fell in love with it.**


	8. Chapter 8: Dance Real Slow

The day of the wedding started bright and early with last minute preparations. Auden was supposed to be going over to the Burrow to get ready with Hermione, Ginny, and Fleur. She had purposely left her dress in Ginny's closet so that she wouldn't have to carry it over and risk Fred seeing it.

"Oh, hello dear," Mrs. Weasley said distractedly as Auden passed her in the doorway. "Just go right up to Ginny's room."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Auden said, but she didn't think Mrs. Weasley had heard her because she had just turned to yell at someone carrying a flower display.

"No, no, those are going over there! They won't look good where you're about to put them!" she yelled, waving her arms. "You're supposed to have an eye for this stuff! You're a florist!"

"I'm just the delivery guy," answered the man with the flowers, looking scared.

"Oh, well, just put them where I said," Mrs. Weasley sighed.

Auden tried to stifle a laugh as she took the stairs two at a time to Ginny's room. She heard voices coming from inside as she knocked on the door.

"Come een!" yelled Fleur's voice. Auden opened the door. None of the girls had started getting ready yet, but Fleur was standing in front of the closet, looking at her wedding dress hanging on the hanger.

"She won't put it on yet," Ginny explained. "She 'wants to look at it first'."

"Well I do," Fleur said defensively. "Eet eez gorgeous."

"Why don't you put it on now?" Auden suggested, smiling and leaning against the door frame. "It's not going to do any good just hanging there."

"Okay, just one more meenute," Fleur sighed.

"How's my mother doing?" Ginny asked. "Has she ripped off anyone's head yet?"

"As far as I know, she hasn't. She came close though with one of the flower delivery guys. He wasn't putting them in the right spot apparently," Auden laughed, stepping around Fleur and her dress to retrieve her own dress from the closet. It was pale blue, strapless and came down to just past her knees. It had a black sash around the waist with a bow on the center left of the hip area.

"Are zee flowers the exact ones I ordered?" Fleur asked, her attention leaving the wedding dress.

"Um, yeah, white roses right?" Auden asked.

"Yes, zey are the correct color and everytheeng?"

"Yeah, they're fine, Fleur. You just worry about getting dressed. If there's a problem downstairs Mrs. Weasley will deal with it."

"But-,"

"Trust us, she will," Ginny interrupted.

"You've been quiet, Hermione," Auden said, looking at Hermione. She was holding a small beaded bag up to her face.

"Oh I'm just checking something…okay, finished." She snapped the bag closed and sat next to Auden on Ginny's bed.

There was another knock on the door and Fleur's sister, Gabrielle entered the room, wearing her gold bridesmaid dress.

"Oh, Gabrielle, you look wonderful!" Fleur gasped, racing over to her sister and circling her like a vulture. "Geeny, put yours on too and then I can do your hair! I weel do everyone else's too!"

"It's your wedding, Fleur," Ginny said. "You shouldn't have to do our hair."

"But I want to!" Fleur exclaimed excitedly.

Auden and Hermione slipped into their dresses as Ginny put on hers and sat down so that Fleur could do her hair.

Fleur was a natural at doing hair. She worked so fast, asking for brushes and elastics and taking them when Gabrielle handed them to her. "You are feeneeshed," she finally announced, putting her hands on her hips.

Auden glanced up from adjusting the bow on her dress to see Ginny's hair. Fleur had done it in a gorgeous bun with a loose, curled strand hanging on the side of Ginny's face.

"Wow, you look incredible, Ginny," Hermione said quietly.

"Thanks, Fleur," Ginny said.

"Eet eez no trouble," Fleur answered, grinning. "Who eez next?"

"Auden and I can do each other's hair. You get dressed," Hermione said.

"Are you sure?" Fleur asked.

"Positive. I'll do Auden's hair now," Hermione said.

"Okay, Gabrielle, would you mind helping me weeth my dress?" Fleur asked.

"Of course," Gabrielle answered in her quiet voice.

As Hermione busied herself with Auden's hair, Auden looked in the mirror as Fleur stepped into her wedding gown. She looked especially gorgeous today. Happiness and excitement seemed to radiate from her and it was infectious.

"Okay, I'm finished," Hermione announced. "I didn't do anything elaborate, but still, you look great, Aud."

Auden looked at her reflection in the mirror. Hermione had simply left her hair down, curled it and she had even added a thin silver headband for a finishing touch.

"Wow, Hermione, you did a great job," Ginny commented.

"Oh, stop it. Like I said, it's nothing elaborate."

"Thanks, Hermione!"

Auden did Hermione's hair next, while Ginny and Gabrielle did Fleur's

"Good luck making this bird's nest look good," Hermione sighed, picking up a strand of her hair and dropping it back against her head.

"It's not a bird's nest," Auden argued. "People would kill to have curls like yours."

"Eet is true," Fleur said. "I have always wanted to have nice curls like yours, 'Ermione."

"See that?" Ginny smirked, as Hermione looked surprised. "I just have to pin the tiara in and you'll be done, Fleur."

When everyone was ready, Auden, Ginny, Gabrielle, and Hermione stepped back to look at Fleur, who was standing in front of the mirror, slowly turning around and looking shocked, thrilled, and excited all at once. Muriel's tiara glittered in her pale blonde hair.

"You look wonderful," Gabrielle told her sister. "Beel is a very lucky man to have you."

"She speaks the truth," Ginny laughed.

"Knock knock," said a voice at the door.

"Who eez it?" asked Fleur.

"It's Fred and George. We wanted to know if you ladies were ready yet."

"We'll be ready when we feel like it," Ginny yelled back. "Now go away, this is a no boys allowed zone!"

"Auden will let us in, right Aud?" asked Fred.

"No can do, Freddie," Auden yelled back with a smile. "Go down to the tent and wait patiently with everyone else. Aren't you supposed to be helping bring people to their seats?"

"People won't be getting here for another twenty minutes," Fred whined. "Plus, I want to see your dress. You're killing me."

"Go away, Fred," Auden ordered, laughing.

"But-," Fred began, but he was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley's voice.

"Shoo, the both of you!" she said, and Auden could picture her flapping her hands around. "Renee, Fleur's mother and I need to get inside. No, I will not open the door until you leave. Go!"

There was a silence followed by a knock. "Can we come in?" asked Auden's mother.

"Yes, go ahead," Auden answered.

The door slowly opened to reveal the three mothers. "Oh, my darling daughter!" Fleur's mother gasped, rushing to hug Fleur. "And Gabrille! You look so beautiful in your bridesmaids dress! I've always thought gold compleemeented your hair wonderfully!"

"What are we, Swiss cheese?" Ginny whispered to Auden and Hermione.

"Shush, Ginny, it is Fleur's day," Hermione whispered back.

"Still…" Ginny shrugged.

"Look at you, all grown up," Auden's mother said, smiling at Auden. "Spin around so I can see the back."

Auden did as she was told, grinning the whole time. She didn't know if it had to do with Fleur's radiating excitement or beauty, or Auden's own excitement, but she felt flawless.

Suddenly, Auntie Muriel appeared in the doorway. "Let me see how my tiara looks on the bride," she wheezed, looking at Fleur. "Hmm, yes, it looks very nice. You do have good hair for that tiara, I must say."

"Thank you, Muriel," Fleur smiled.

"Hmm, and is this the Muggle born?" Muriel asked, turning her gaze to Hermione. "Hmm, nice looking girl, but you have bad posture and skinny ankles. And Auden, you've gotten taller since the last time I saw you. I hear you're dating Fred. Tell him to cut his hair. You could use a hair cut as well. I think I can see some split ends."

"Are we ready to go downstairs?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "The guests should be arriving soon, and I'm sure Fleur's father would love to see her before he has to walk her down the aisle."

Fleur took one last look at herself in the mirror. "Yes, I am ready," she said, smiling and picking up the bouquet of flowers lying on the bed. Gabrielle and Ginny picked up there's and the group of women walked down the stairs.

"You don't have split ends," Ginny whispered to Auden. "Muriel's blind as a bat. She wouldn't be able to see split ends if they were two inches away from her."

"Don't worry, I didn't take it personally," Auden whispered back.

"Ginny, Gabrielle, and Fleur, you three stay here," Mrs. Weasley ordered. "Auden and Hermione, you may go out to the tent. The boys will show you to your seats."

Auden and Hermione left through the back door into the yard. As they approached the front of the tent, Auden saw Fred, George, and Katie talking to Harry and Ron. Fred and George's backs were to them, and they couldn't see the girls coming.

"When I get married," Fred said, tugging at the collar of his own robes. "I won't be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like, and I'll put a full Body Bind Curse on mum until it's over."

"Sounds like a plan," Auden said with a smirk. Fred spun around and Auden had to laugh as his jaw dropped.

"Oh, look, you made a hole in the ground with your jaw," she teased.

Fred shook his head as if he thought she was some kind of mirage. "You look absolutely incredible," he said quietly.

"Thank you," she said with a twirl. "Hi Katie, how are you doing? I love your dress!"

"Thanks, Aud, and I'm doing great," Katie answered, swinging her and George's intertwined hands back and forth joyfully.

"Ron, you look like you've been hit on the head," Hermione said.

"Oh, he's just in shock," Harry smirked, sharing a glance with Auden.

"Hermione, you look great!" Ron finally said.

"Always the tone of surprise," Hermione smiled.

"So how's your mum dealing with Percy not being here?" Harry asked Fred, George, and Ron. Fred slipped his arm around Auden's waist and kissed her temple as George answered Harry's question.

"Not too bad, actually. She cried a bit, but who wants him, anyway? He'd probably spend the whole wedding with an expression like he's got a stick up his butt, and then he would one by one bore every guest to death with a play by play on how he wrote every word of his latest report with his new shiny quill."

"Uh-oh, here they come," Fred said, pointing. He let go of Auden as the first group of people approached the tent. It was a group of elderly relatives. "Hello," Fred said. "I'll show you to your seats."

"What was that? You'll show me to the meats?" an old woman asked, rather loudly. "I'm a vegetarian!"

"No, seats! I'll show you to the seats!" Fred said, taking her arm.

"Oh, seats! Okay, that sounds lovely," the woman said, patting Fred's hand. "You're a fine young man."

"Looks like you've got an admirer," Auden said in a voice low enough so that the woman wouldn't hear.

Fred chuckled as he led the old lady away. George, Ron, and Harry also became busy leading guests to their seats, leaving Katie, Hermione and Auden alone at the front of the tent.

"Have you seen Muriel at all today?" Katie asked. "George warned me that she was coming."

"Oh, yes, we saw her this morning," Hermione said. "She told Auden that she had split ends and she told me that I had bad posture and skinny ankles."

"Lovely woman, isn't she?" Auden laughed. "The first time I met her was when I was six and she told me that I had a crooked big toe. Leave it to her to notice something like that."

"Talking about Muriel?" Fred asked, returning to the tent entrance. "I remember the whole big toe thing, and for the record, your toes are fine."

"I'm glad someone thinks so," Auden laughed. "By the way, she told me to tell you to cut your hair."

Fred snorted. "I just saw her not too long ago, talking to Ron. She told him the same thing and that she almost mistook him for 'Ginevra.'" Fred made finger quote marks when he said Ginny's full name.

"If Ginny heard her saying 'Ginevra'…" Auden laughed.

"Speaking of Murial, guess what she just told me?" George asked, coming up behind them. "She told me my ears were lopsided, the old bat. I wish Uncle Bilius was still with us, though. He was a right laugh at weddings and parties."

"Wasn't he the one who saw a Grim and died twenty four hours later?" Hermione asked, as Ron returned from leading another group of old people to their seats.

"Yeah, he went a bit loopy towards the end," George shrugged.

"But before he went loopy," Fred added, "he was the life and soul of the party. He used to down an entire bottle of firewhisky, then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his-,"

"Fred, that's enough," Auden warned, but she was laughing. She could remember the Weasley's Uncle Bilius. It was hard to forget someone like him.

"Oh, yes, he sounds like a real charmer," Hermione said.

"Never married, though, for some reason," Ron added.

"Oh, yes, I wonder why that could be." Hermione said, feigning shock.

Mrs. Weasley suddenly came hurrying over with Mr. Weasley and Auden's parents. "You all need to sit down; we're about to start!" she flapped her hands at them to shoo them away.

"Well, hello there pretty lady," Fred said, holding out his arm to Auden. "May I show you to your seat?"

"You may," Auden answered, taking Fred's arm.

Fred grinned and they walked together to their seats in the second row. George and Katie sat down next to them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione behind them. The front row was reserved for the parents of the bride and groom.

Moments later, Bill appeared at the front of the tent, followed by Charlie, who was the best man. Fred wolf-whistled, resulting in giggles from a group of Fleur's veela cousins sitting across the aisle. Auden leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at them. She had seen them arrive earlier and had felt somewhat glad that it was Ron who had shown them to their seats instead of Fred. But now she couldn't help that stupid jealousy from showing itself again.

"Hey, relax," Fred whispered, taking her hand in his and smiling. "We talked about this, remember? Ages ago. I'm not interested in any veela."

"But they can-" Auden began.

"Shh," Fred interrupted. "I still don't want them. And if you see me drooling over one, march over and rip her hair out."

Auden smiled. "Sorry," she whispered.

Fred shook his head and grinned. "Don't be. I understand why you feel the way you do. And it's kind of cute."

Auden smiled and sat back in her chair, but didn't have time to answer because music had started to play.

"Oh, look," Hermione whispered.

Every head turned to look at the back of the tent. Fleur's mother was walking up the aisle, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Once they had reached their seats, Ginny and then Gabrielle began to walk up the aisle. Fleur appeared a second later. She seemed to be gliding down the aisle instead of walking. Auden tore her eyes away from Fleur to look at Bill. She smiled at the look on his face.

"Look at Bill," she said, nudging Fred. "He looks so happy."

"Happier than happy," Fred grinned.

"Ladies and gentleman," said a small, old wizard, once Fleur had reached Bill. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two people…"

"Oh, yes, my tiara sets off the whole thing nicely," said Muriel from a few rows behind Auden and Fred. "But I must say that Genevra's dress is far too low cut."

"Yes, I agree," said another old woman next to Murial. "When I got married…"

"You wore a dress that covered all the way up to your chin," Fred finished in a whisper to Auden, who giggled.

"Do you, William Arthur Weasley," continued the small wizard marrying Bill and Fleur, "take Fleur Isabelle Delacour to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Bill whispered.

"And do you, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, take William Arthur Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Fleur answered, her eyes shining with happiness. Auden squeezed Fred's hand tighter and glanced over at him. He shot her a smile and she smiled back.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife," the wizard said. "You may now kiss the bride."

As Bill leaned down to kiss Fleur, the balloons hanging above their heads popped, and a group of doves flew out. Bill grabbed Fleur in his arms and spun her around, resulting in a series of giggles.

Everyone was standing up and clapping now, and magically, the chairs disappeared, the tent walls vanished, and a dance floor appeared under their feet.

"Nice," Fred said in approval. "Let's go find a table." He grabbed Auden's hand and led the way across the tent, George and Katie right behind them. They took a seat not too far from a table occupied by Harry, Ron, Hermione and Luna. Luna was wearing a bright yellow dress.

"Hello Auden," Luna said, waving.

"Hi Luna. I like your dress, it's very bright."

"Daddy says that it is good luck to wear yellow to a wedding," Luna said.

"Yeah, bright colors are nice," Auden answered.

"Yes, but yellow specifically is the best color for a wedding. And look, one of the garden gnomes bit me!"

"Do you need a bandage or something?" Fred asked, peering at Luna's hand.

"Oh, no, Daddy says gnome bites are very healthy."

"Okay, but, er, don't mention that to my mum. George and I were supposed to get rid of the gnomes-,"

"Did you?" Auden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We did…mostly," Fred shrugged.

"I consider myself very lucky to have been bit by a garden gnome. They're funny creatures, don't you agree?" Luna asked.

"Um, yeah, they are," Fred answered.

The band started playing a song just then, and Bill led Fleur to the dance floor. Minutes later, they were joined by other people including Ron and Hermione. Auden watched Bill and Fleur dance with a small smile on her face.

"Come on, let's dance," Fred said excitedly, leading Auden to a corner of the dance floor.

"So, when are we starting Potterwatch?" Auden asked as Fred spun her around.

"Soon, probably in the next few weeks," Fred answered, pulling her to him again. "The password thing was actually a great idea because that helps to make sure Death Eaters won't be able to hear us."

"What happens if they do?" Auden asked.

"Well, we'll figure something out," Fred answered quickly.

They danced for a few more dances before Fred offered to go get drinks. "I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere," he said.

"No promises," Auden joked. "You better hurry up or I'll be miles away by the time you get back." She laughed as Fred speed walked through the crowd of people.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Auden dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, appearing behind Auden.

"Yeah, I am. It's a really great wedding, Mrs. Weasley."

"Thank you dear," she answered. "It was-," but she was interrupted by a large silver Patronus shaped like a lynx appeared in the center of the dance floor. The crowd of guests formed a circle around it and the tent went silent.

The Patronus opened its mouth and Kingsley's voice echoed through the tent. "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming." The lynx faded into a wisp of smoke, but Kingsley's words seemed to echo around the tent. There was silence a moment longer before everything erupted into chaos. People were screaming and trying to leave before the Death Eaters got there.

Auden was beginning to panic. How was she going to find Fred in this mess? She began pushing through people towards the other side of the tent. Finally, she saw Fred, pushing his way towards her. "Fred," she gasped, rushing into his arms. He held her close as they watched the wedding guests running and Disapparating. The lanterns were exploding and small fires were starting up all around the tent. Auden buried her face in Fred's chest as a lantern exploded right beside them.

"Come on," Fred said, pulling Auden towards the tent exit, "we need to at least get outside the tent." He closed his hand firmly on her wrist. "Stay close."

They hadn't moved two feet before a Death Eater materialized in front of them. It looked like they weren't going anywhere.

* * *

**A/N: The title of this chapter came from the song **_**All About Us**_** by He is We. **

**Reviews would be amazing. I appreciate every single one of them :)**


	9. Chapter 9: Evacuate the Dance Floor

As the Death Eater backed Auden and Fred against the wall of the tent, Auden began craning her neck to try and see if Harry had gotten away yet. She figured that he would have left with Hermione and Ron once the message from Kingsley came. After all, the Death Eaters were mainly there to search for Harry.

The crowd eventually thinned out until it was just Auden's family and the Weasleys left. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were nowhere to be seen. George had told Katie to go home so that she would be safe. She had argued, but agreed in the end.

"All of you, into the house, now!" yelled one of the Death Eaters. There were about seven or eight of them there, and every single one was pointing their wand at the shocked group of people in front of them.

"Go!" yelled another Death Eater.

Mr. Weasley was the first to move. "Better to just listen to them," he whispered.

"Come on." The Death Eater trapping Fred and Auden against the side of the tent ushered them out towards the Burrow. He jabbed his wand into Auden's shoulder blade. Fred immediately spun around and lunged at the Death Eater, but Auden pulled him back.

"No," she hissed, "don't give him an excuse to hurt you."

Fred scowled but didn't turn around again. When they finally reached the house and stood in the living room, the Death Eaters surrounded them, their wands held out, making sure nobody could escape.

"Shut that door and lock it," the biggest and tallest Death Eater said to the other Death Eaters. The one closest to the door shut and locked it with his wand. The other Death Eaters spread out around the room, blocking all doors and windows.

"Should we collect their wands?" asked one Death Eater.

"No," said another. "They would be foolish to try anything against us."

"Where is Harry Potter?" asked the tall Death Eater who had ordered them inside the house. "We know he spends summers and holidays here with you."

One of the Death Eaters started cackling and she pulled off her mask. It was Bellatrix Lestrange. "Wait just a minute, I remember this one." She pointed her wand at Auden. "I almost got her when Draco let us into Hogwarts in June."

"But you didn't," Fred said angrily, pulling Auden close to him.

"I could try again," Bellatrix said with a smirk, twirling her wand between her fingers.

Auden grabbed onto Fred's wrist to calm him down. He looked about ready to strangle Bellatrix with his bare hands. "If you touch her…" he started. His voice was quiet, but Auden could hear the anger behind it.

"You're not going to touch her or anyone else," Mr. Weasley said bravely.

"Don't do anything, Bella," the tall Death Eater said quietly. "Yet. Let's see if they'll spill the information on Potter. How about we give you all a deal? You tell us where Potter is, or something that you know about his whereabouts, and we'll let you go, unharmed."

"What about his friends, Granger, and that other Weasley boy?" asked another Death Eater, standing near the window. "I notice the Weasley boy isn't here. Is he with Potter?"

"Ron is sick with spattergroit," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yeah, right," cackled Bellatrix.

"We have proof," Mr. Weasley said, swallowing. "He's upstairs, sleeping. The smell is terrible, though, and the disease is highly contagious…"

"I'll go take a look, but I'll stop in the doorway. That should be efficient enough," the tall Death Eater said. He motioned for two other Death Eaters to follow him. "Which room is it?"

"The one all the way at the top of the stairs," Mrs. Weasley said shakily.

The three Death Eaters disappeared up the stairs, leaving everybody else standing in the living room in silence. Thank goodness Hermione had suggested to Mrs. Weasley that the ghoul be moved into Ron's room this morning saying she 'had a feeling.' Auden didn't know how that girl was gifted with such incredible instincts as well as intelligence.

"So your son has spattergroit, huh?" Bellatrix said with an evil grin, looking at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Isn't that disease…fatal?" she smirked as she began to circle around the group.

"Sometimes," Mr. Weasley said stiffly.

Bellatrix let out another cackle. "What about the Mudblood? Where is she if she's not ill or standing here in this room?"

"She's in Australia on holiday," Ginny said. "And don't call her that!"

"Oh, is she? Just decided to take a little trip?" Bellatrix asked. "Hmm, interesting. And I'll call her Mudblood as many times as I want! Mudblood, Mudblood, Mudblood!"

"Her and her parents are gone. Her house will be empty if you look," Auden's mother said.

"Oh, I'm sure we will be, you don't have to worry about that," Bellatrix grinned.

The tall Death Eater and his friends returned downstairs at that moment. "Definitely looks like spattergroit," he nodded.

Auden felt slightly relieved. They had believed that the ghoul was Ron.

"Apparently the Granger girl and her parents are away on vacation in Australia," Bellatrix said. "We'll be investigating their house, right?"

"Yes," said the tall Death Eater.

"Should we go find them in Australia to question them?"

"No, it's not worth it for one girl. It'll be a waste of time, and the Dark Lord doesn't want his time wasted."

"Well, let's stop wasting time now and find out what they know about Potter," Bellatrix demanded.

"Okay, where is Harry Potter?" the Death Eater faced the terrified group again. "We already know that he keeps in contact with you and he stays here during the summer and holidays. Tell us what you know unless you want to get hurt." He raised his wand slightly.

"He's not here," Mrs. Weasley said, "if that's what you're wondering. We don't know where he is."

"Liar," the Death Eater hissed, sticking his wand in Mrs. Weasley's face. Auden felt Fred stiffen and she was pretty sure everyone else in the room had as well.

"We aren't lying!" Ginny said angrily. "Even if he were staying here do you think he'd hang around so that you can catch him?"

"He must have told you where he was going, what he was doing," the Death Eater said, turning his wand on Ginny.

"Do you know where he is?" Bellatrix raised her eyebrow at Auden. "You're friends with him aren't you?"

"No, I have no idea where he is," Auden shook her head. It was the truth. She had no idea what they had been planning or where they had gone.

Bellatrix stepped closer, her wand inches from Auden's face. "Maybe you'll talk with some, I don't know…prodding," she smirked. Fred tried to take a step forward but Auden held onto his arm tighter.

"No, Bella, wait a moment," the tall Death Eater said. "Potter must have gone into hiding. He's not stupid, unfortunately."

"Maybe they really don't know where he is," a Death Eater by the door said. "The Dark Lord did say that Potter doesn't like to be a burden to others or put them in danger. Maybe he didn't tell anyone because he was trying to be noble or brave." His nose crinkled on the words 'noble' and 'brave.'

The tall Death Eater sighed in frustration. "Okay, here's what's going to happen. We're going to search this house and the house next door. It's your house, isn't it?" he asked Auden's parents.

"Yes," Auden's dad answered, looking angry.

"Okay then, we're going to search both houses and you better hope that we don't find Harry Potter hiding under a bed or something."

"You wouldn't find him hiding," George said suddenly, looking the Death Eater in the eye.

"Harry's not like that," Auden added.

The Death Eaters said nothing at first, but then the tall one started talking again. "You must be aware that we've taken control of the Ministry by now. That's how we got here because it caused your little protective charms to break. It was nice work, but not good enough," he smirked. "Anyway, we now have the power to track certain families in case Undesirable Number 1 decides to make an appearance."

"Undesirable-," Mrs. Weasley started. "You make him seem like a criminal!"

The Death Eater shrugged. "He kind of is. He's wanted by the Dark Lord and he has to resort to being on the run to avoid being captured."

"So what are you saying?" Bill asked.

"I'm saying that you are all now being tracked. In other words, if Harry Potter comes to either one of your houses, we will know about it at once. Your fireplaces will be monitored as well as your mail. And if Potter tries to Apparate inside your houses, we'll know about that too."

"How? He's seventeen, you can't put the Trace on someone who's of age," Charlie said.

"Oh, there are certain charms," the Death Eater said, twirling his wand. "Are we perfectly clear?"

Everyone nodded nervously.

"You managed to get off easy today. You should all consider yourselves lucky that we didn't decide to hurt you," the Death Eater said.

"I don't understand why," Bellatrix whined. "I was looking forward to torturing someone today. The two girls look like especially fun targets." She eyed Ginny and Auden.

"Are we finished here?" Auden's dad asked icily.

"Almost," the Death Eater said quietly. "We're going to search your houses now. Like we said, we better not find out you've been lying about Harry Potter not being here. If we find you've been lying, I'll have to let Bellatrix have a field day," he sneered at them. Bellatrix cackled. Auden had the urge to do an imitation of her followed by a kick to the shins, but she didn't want to anger her even more.

The Death Eaters search didn't last very long. They searched through both houses rather quickly, without finding Harry anywhere.

"We're going to start tracking both of your families as soon as we get back to the Ministry," the Death Eater warned "We'll be watching you, so I wouldn't try anything funny if I were you." With that, they all disappeared.

Auden let out a breath she had been unaware that she was holding.

"Are you alright?" Fred asked, turning her to face him.

"Yeah, they didn't touch me, Fred," Auden said with a small smile.

"They almost did," he answered quietly, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm going to send a message to Harry. I'll use a Patronus like Kingsley did. It will be able to find them wherever they are," Mr. Weasley said shakily.

"Good idea, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said. "Let them know we're safe but we're being watched-,"

"And it wouldn't be a good idea to contact us in any way." Auden's dad finished.

Once Mr. Weasley had sent the message, they all stood and stared at one another for a few moments.

"You don't think that message can be tracked, do you?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think so." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "The Death Eater just said they were monitoring the Floo network, Apparition, and the mail.

"So we can Apparate out of the house, but Harry can't Apparate inside?" Ben asked.

"Sounds like it," Bill said, throwing himself down in a chair. "I wonder where they are now…"

"I'm surprised you didn't go with them, Auden," Ben said, looking at her.

"I'm glad she didn't," her mother said. "I'm already worried enough about the others…"

"I was going to go," Auden said with a half glance at her parents. "But I changed my mind."

"She's going to help with Potterwatch," Fred said proudly, draping his arm around her.

"What's Potterwatch?" Auden's mother asked.

"It's a radio station that George, Lee, and I invented and we asked Auden to be a part of it. We're going to broadcast news about our side instead of You-Know-Who's side and you know, show support for Harry."

"That's great," Mr. Weasley said.

"Anyone from the Order is welcome to be a guest on the show, actually," George said. "We were going to start asking people...you know, like Kingsley and Lupin."

"We're all going to have code names and there's going to be a password to tune in every week," Fred continued. "To make it harder for Death Eater's to find out what we're doing."

"I would advise you to also not broadcast from the house since the Death Eaters are watching," Mr. Weasley said. "Pick a well hidden location and use protective spells just in case. Maybe you could even change locations every so often, just as an extra precaution."

"Are you suggesting that they go into hiding around the country just like the others?" Mrs. Weasley asked tensely.

"No, of course not," Mr. Weasley said, shaking his head. "They just need to find different places to broadcast their show from and when they're done for the day, they can come home. I'm not sure if Death Eaters know a way to track radio signals, so you might want to watch out for that too."

Fred nodded. "Don't worry, we'll be careful."

"When are you starting?" Auden's dad asked.

"Well, now that Harry's on the run, I'm thinking sometime next week. The sooner the better," Fred said, looking at George, who nodded.

"Well, let us know when you need us, or if you need help getting in contact with any of the other Order members," Auden's dad said with a small smile.

"Of course," Fred grinned back. He grabbed Auden's hand and they ran up the stairs followed by George.

"Okay, so we need to figure out where we're going to broadcast from first," George said, flopping onto his bed. Fred sat down on his own bed and leaned against the pillows, pulling Auden against him.

"What about that cave way back in the woods?" Fred asked.

"What cave?" Auden asked. She didn't remember any cave.

"It's a cave that's in the woods behind our houses," Fred explained.

"Yeah, I got that much, but how come I never knew it was there?" Auden asked.

"Fred and I found it a long time ago, when we were about nine or ten. We considered it our secret hideout and we never told anyone about it, not even Bill or Charlie," George explained. "We planned a ton of pranks in there, remember, Fred?"

"Of course I do," Fred answered.

"And you couldn't even tell me?" Auden joked.

"Girls had cooties back then," Fred answered, kissing the top of her head.

"Not me," Auden smiled.

"Oh, of course," Fred rolled his eyes jokingly.

"The cave sounds good though," George said.

"Okay," Fred nodded. "I'll write to Lee and you can write to Katie."

"Katie's going to do it too?" Auden asked.

"Yeah," George nodded.

"Good," Auden smiled. She was glad that she'd have at least one other girl to hang out with while they did this. And besides, she really liked Katie.

"Why, do you like hanging out with Katie more than me and George?" Fred teased. "I'm hurt, Aud. I thought we had something special." He pretended to cry into his hands.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," Auden sighed, pulling his hands away from his face. She was smiling, though. "Of course I like being with you two, but it's nice to have another girl to hang around with."

"So you can share secrets-," George started.

"And giggle-," Fred added.

"And paint your nails-,"

"And talk about boys-,"

"And by boys we really mean us," George finished.

"Obviously," Auden giggled.

"Sounds boring," Fred smirked.

"You mean you don't like doing all those things?" Auden pretended to be surprised.

"No, I'm sorry to say that I don't," Fred laughed.

"That's too bad," Auden teased. "I was hoping we could spend time during Potterwatch painting each other's nails and doing each other's hair."

"The day I let anyone paint my nails is the day Grawp becomes Minister of Magic," Fred snorted.

George laughed. "Too bad…a nice fuchsia color would look nice on you."

"No it wouldn't, it would clash terribly with your hair," Auden wrinkled her nose.

"Exactly," George smiled as he left the room to go write to Katie.

That night, Auden was just about to go to bed, when an owl appeared at her window. She untied the note and read it.

_Aud, _

_Lee and Katie are okay with using the cave. First broadcast is on Thursday night at eight. Meet us in front of my house at seven and we'll all walk over together. We're going to walk there just so that we don't take any chances of being caught. I'd much rather Apparate, but now I guess we'll be getting the hiking experience. I've always wondered why Muggles like hiking so much. I guess I'll be finding out soon. See you tomorrow._

_Love, Fred_

Auden smiled as she wrote her reply.

_Fred,_

_I'll be there. And come on, what's not to like about walking through the dark woods full of bugs and dirt and plants? I'm just kidding…mostly. It should be fun as long as you and George don't get us lost. You haven't been to this cave for what, almost ten years? If we get lost, I will definitely be painting your nails pink while you sleep as revenge. You'll have to start sleeping with one eye open. I love you and see you tomorrow. _

_Love, Auden._

Auden grinned as she sent the note back with the owl. She watched the bird fly to Fred's window. After a few seconds, it disappeared inside. Auden climbed into bed, knowing that Fred was right next door in his own bedroom, most likely laughing at her threat. She'd have to remember to look for her pink nail polish, just in case.

* * *

**A/N: The title of this chapter came from the song **_**Evacuate the Dance Floor **_**by Cascada, because it made me laugh at first and it does kind of fit the chapter in a way.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10: More Than A Name

Thursday night, Auden met Fred, George, Lee, and Katie outside the front door of the Burrow. George and Katie were holding hands and Lee was holding some odd contraption that Auden figured was the radio they'd be broadcasting from.

"Oh, good, you're here," Fred grinned, taking Auden's hand and swinging it. "And just so you know, George and I know exactly how to get to the cave, even though we haven't been there in years."

"Oh, really?" Auden asked.

"Really," Fred answered.

"In other words," Katie said, "they have no idea."

"Hey!" George said defensively. "We know what we're doing."

"Yeah," said Lee, "don't underestimate the power of their memories."

"Thank you, Lee," Fred said defiantly.

"Should we get going, then?" Auden asked, raising an eyebrow. She had found the nail polish and put it on the bookshelf in her room so that she could see it. She thought she might even paint their nails even if they didn't get lost. It would be a funny prank to pull.

"Let's go," Fred said with a grin, pulling on Auden's hand. They walked across the yard and into the woods. Once they got there, they lit their wands so they could see in the dark.

"How far away is this cave, anyway?" asked Katie.

"Not far," answered George, holding back a small pine branch for Katie that had been sticking out into the path.

"That didn't really answer the question," Auden said as Fred pushed back the same branch and let it snap back. Auden ducked to avoid the pine needles hitting her in the face. "Wow, such a gentleman," she rolled her eyes.

"Sorry!" Fred gasped. He turned back and held back the branch. He even exaggerated the gesture by bowing.

Auden rolled her eyes before stepping past the branch. "But seriously, how far away is this cave?"

"We'll be there in about five minutes," Fred said.

Ten minutes later, they were still walking. "We're lost," Katie announced, rolling her eyes at Auden.

"No, we aren't," George said, pausing to look around.

"Yes we are," Auden said, smirking. "Just admit defeat already."

"No, no," Lee said. "Everything looks different in the dark and it's been years so I think they deserve to be cut some slack."

"Of course you'd take their side," Katie said, rolling her eyes.

"Aha!" George said. "I found it!"

"Where?" Katie and Auden asked at the same time.

"Over there. I see it too," Fred said, pointing.

Auden raised her lit wand higher in the air. Sure enough, a large rock that looked like a miniature mountain stood a short distance away. There was a large, dark hole that marked the entrance.

"It's safe to go in, isn't it?" Katie asked as they walked towards it.

"It should be," George said, peering into the cave and holding his wand up.

"No bats?" Katie asked.

"Well I can't guarantee that."

"George…" Katie said in a warning tone.

"Alright, alright, Fred, Lee, and I will go in first to make sure there are no bats or animals. We'll call you when we're ready."

Fred let go of Auden's hand and the three boys left Katie and Auden alone outside of the cave.

"You know, one of them probably should've stayed out here with us," Katie said. "It's creepy out here."

Auden nodded. "We probably could have just gone in with them."

"No, I hate bats," Katie shuddered.

They both jumped as an owl hooted loudly from a tree branch. "Should we just follow them inside?" Auden asked.

"Yeah," Katie said, looking nervous. "I'd rather face the bats then stand out here any longer by ourselves."

"I don't think there are any bats. They would've flown out by now," Auden said.

Katie nodded and the two of them took a few steps into the cave.

"Fred?" Auden called. "George? Lee? Where are you?"

Suddenly, they heard a terrified yell. It sounded like all three of the boys were screaming. "There's a bear!" one of them yelled. Katie and Auden shared shocked looks and began to run, although it was mostly just fast walking so that they wouldn't trip. The cave was tall enough for them to stand up straight, but it was still almost pitch dark, the only light coming from the wands. They didn't really care if there was a bear or not, they just needed to help Fred, George, and Lee.

"What happened, are you okay?" Katie asked, breathlessly as they reached the boys, who were all sitting on the floor, shaking.

Auden suddenly realized they were shaking from laughter, not from fear. "There was no bear, was there?" she asked, annoyed.

"No," Lee said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "You both looked so scared when you got here."

"That's because we thought you were in trouble!" Katie yelled.

"I can't believe they _actually_ thought there was a bear," Lee laughed. "As if we'd just stand here yelling about it if we did come into contact with one."

"You're all jerks," Auden said, gently hitting Fred's arm with her shoe. "Maybe you aren't mature enough to do Potterwatch and Katie and I should do it alone."

"No, no, we're serious now," Fred said, gasping as he stopped laughing.

Auden and Katie frowned and looked around at the three guys, their eyebrows raised. "We're waiting," Katie said.

"For wha-, oh," George said. "We're sorry for scaring you."

"Yeah, we didn't mean it. Seriously, we just thought it would be a good laugh," Fred said.

"Yeah, sorry," Lee mumbled, looking at his feet that were stretched out in front of him.

"Will you sit down now…please?" Fred asked, tugging on Auden's jeans.

Auden looked at Katie, who shrugged. They sat down, forming a circle. "I wish we could have a fire in here, but there's no place for the smoke to go," George said.

"I have an idea," Auden said. She stood up and waved her wand around, muttering a spell to prevent the rocks and dirt from caving in. Then, she pointed her wand at an area of rock on the left side of the ceiling, right where it began to turn into the wall. She blasted away a small chunk of rock, revealing a small hole. A beam of moonlight shone in, providing even more light.

"Brilliant," Fred said as Auden sat back down next to him.

George made the fire as Lee set up the radio that he had been carrying. It looked like a normal portable radio, but it had five wires sticking out that were connected to microphones.

"So," George said, leaning back against the cave wall and pulling Katie towards him. "Lee, do you want to explain how a radio broadcast will work? You're the only one who knows how." He gestured towards the radio.

"Okay," Lee said, sitting back on his heels. "This is a special broadcasting radio. That's why it has all the microphones. Everyone gets a microphone," he said as he passed them around. "As you can see, they're all connected to the radio. Now, I already have the radio set to the station we need, so when I turn it on, we'll be on the air, and we can just start talking. When we're done, we turn the radio off. And we can add up to five more microphones, but I only brought five for tonight."

"Cool, where'd you get it?" Fred asked, examining his microphone.

"It belonged to my uncle," Lee said. "He collects these weird things from wizard magazines, but hey, this time something came in handy."

"What exactly are we broadcasting in tonight's show?" Auden asked, leaning against Fred's side. He slid the arm not holding the microphone around her and continued to twirl his microphone in his other hand. It looked like one of those microphones that Muggles used for that game where they sing in front of audiences and occasionally made fools of themselves.

"What do you mean?" Lee asked.

"I mean we don't have any information on anyone, do we?" Auden asked. "We haven't heard about any deaths and we don't know anything about Harry or You-Know-Who."

"Aha, I do have something!" Lee said proudly. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and cleared his throat before beginning to read. "An old Muggle man has gone missing and is thought to be dead."

"Wonderful," Katie said sarcastically. "That'll make a great episode of tonight's broadcast."

"What if for tonight we just explain what the show's about?" Fred suggested. His hand was resting on top of Auden's hand on her stomach and he was tracing circles on the back of her hand with his finger.

"And then we can report about the Muggle man too if you want, Lee, since it's the only news we have," George shrugged.

"Okay," Lee said. "Oh, and for our code names, I came up with them myself. I'm going to be River, Katie, you're going to be Rose, Auden's going to be Ruby, George is going to be Radish, and Fred, Rodent."

"Radish?" George asked.

"That's better than Rodent!" Fred exclaimed. "Seriously, what kind of names are those?"

"I like mine," Auden shrugged.

"Yeah, you and Katie have normal ones," Fred said. "I want to be something cool...like Rapier."

"Fine, fine," Lee said, raising his hands in defeat.

"And can I change mine?" George asked. "Why did you pick Radish anyway?"

"Radishes are red like your hair?" Lee suggested.

"Can I just be Red then?" George asked.

"Fine," Lee huffed. "Are we ready now?"

"Wait, shouldn't we rehearse this or something?" Auden asked.

"We don't have time for that," Lee said, waving his hand around impatiently.

"No, but at least a quick run through of who will be saying what," Auden said.

"That's a good idea," Katie said.

"Nah," Lee said. "Let's just wing it."

"My favorite way of doing things," Fred grinned. Auden shot him a look. "I mean, it's my least favorite," he quickly added.

"Okay, so-," Lee began.

"Wait." It was Katie who had interrupted this time.

"Yes, Katie?" Lee asked with a sigh.

"Isn't there a password to be able to tune in? How are people going to be able to hear the first show if we don't have a password for it?"

"We do have a password," Lee said. "I forgot to mention that. It was 'Order' and I shared it with the members of the Order and told them to tell their families and friends. We were thinking of not doing a password for the first show, but then we figured Death Eaters would be able to listen and find out the password for next week."

"We've got this all under control," George grinned, playing with Katie's hair.

"Okay, so if we're ready for real now…" Lee said, looking around. They were all silent. "Alright, so, on the air in three, two, one…Hello, this is River, reporting to you live from, well, we can't exactly say where, but we're reporting live. Welcome-,"

"—to Potterwatch," Fred interrupted as Lee made a face. "This is Rapier and if you're tuning in then thank you. We really, really appreciate all of your support, you guys are great. Really, I mean that and-,"

"We get it," Auden interrupted, "and I think the listeners do too, and now they're probably wondering exactly what Potterwatch is, so we're going to tell you. Potterwatch is-,"

"Thank you…uh, Ruby, but I was about to get to that before you interrupted," Fred said into his microphone, grinning at Auden. "Potterwatch is a radio station that we created to keep people, specifically people against You-Know-Who, updated on all the latest news that the Prophet seems to forget about."

"And also talk about Harry Potter," George said. "This is Red speaking, by the way."

"No one cares what your name is, Red," Lee said. "Anyway, my friend Red here is right. If we find out anything about Harry Potter, we will let you listeners know. That's a promise."

"Why don't you tell the listeners what we know about Harry Potter so far in case some people aren't aware?" Katie suggested.

"What a good idea, Rose," Lee said, almost a little over dramatically. "All we know is that Harry Potter is currently in hiding. We don't know his exact whereabouts, but we suspect that he is alive."

"As for You-Know-Who," Fred said. "He's also very tricky to locate. Trying to find You-Know-Who is like trying to find something wrong with my mum's cooking...it's basically impossible."

"I'm sure mum will appreciate being compared to finding You-Know-Who," George said.

"Well, Radish-," Fred began.

"It's Red," George interrupted.

Fred continued on as if he didn't hear George. "Mum should be pleased that I'm paying her a compliment. Her food is even better now that we've had to cook our own food for a while."

"Now, if Red and Rodent-," Lee began.

"Rapier!" Fred said, annoyed. Auden and Katie were just looking at each other. This show was on the verge of being a disaster.

"If Red and _Rapier_," Lee continued, "would stop arguing, we'd be able to end tonight's show."

"Well, if _River_ would just-," George said.

"That's all for tonight, listeners!" Katie said, jumping in. "This is Rose and you've just been listening to Potterwatch."

"Tune in next Wednesday," Auden said, "for our next show. The secret password will be 'phoenix.'"

Katie reached over and turned off the radio. "Wow," she sighed, leaning back into George.

"That was terrible," Lee groaned, flopping over onto his back.

"It was our first one," Auden said. "We'll get better."

"We didn't even report about that missing Muggle man," Lee grumbled.

"Ah, next week," Fred shrugged. "Lighten up, River."

"We don't have to use code names anymore, Fred," Lee said.

"Oh, well, they're still fun," Fred grinned.

"Why did you say that the next show would be next Wednesday, Auden?" Katie asked, after a short pause.

"Oh, well, I figured that if we report on different days each week, it'll be harder for anyone to catch us. Remember when Harry did that with the DA meetings? This way, there's no predicted pattern."

"Clever," Fred said as Auden blushed.

"Should we head back now?" she asked, standing up and brushing herself off.

Fred stuck out his hands. "Help me up," he smirked.

Auden made a face at him. "You're lucky I love you so much," she said, grabbing his hands and helping to pull Fred to a standing position. He didn't let go of her hands and Auden smiled at their fingers before looking up at Fred.

"You're right," Fred said quietly. "I am lucky."

Auden's grin widened and she blushed again.

"I'm luckier than him," George whispered to Katie.

"No, no, silly Georgie, I think you may be slightly confused," Fred said, looking up and smirking like he was going to make a joke. But then, his face melted into a grin. "We're tied for the two luckiest guys on Earth."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Lee said, rolling his eyes and marching out of the cave.

"Hey, it's not our fault Angelina was busy tonight," George yelled.

"Does someone need a hug?" Fred asked, jogging out of the cave after Lee. Auden, Katie and George ran outside just in time to see Fred trying to hug Lee, and Lee trying to push his arms off.

"Auden, remove your boyfriend, please, before he suffocates me," Lee said, failing to hide his laugh as Fred finally succeeded in hugging him.

"No, I'm going to enjoy this moment," Auden said, sticking her hands in her pockets as George and Katie began to laugh.

"Okay, enjoying time's over," Lee said, after a few seconds.

Auden walked over behind Fred, put her hands on his shoulders, and jumped on his back, causing him to let go of Lee and grab her legs. "Success!" she giggled, resting her chin on Fred's shoulder and wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. They began walking back towards the Burrow.

"Can you promise me something?" Auden asked quietly after a while.

"Anything," Fred said.

"Promise me that we'll never get too old for piggy back rides," Auden whispered.

Fred laughed. "I promise, but I want you to promise me something, too."

"What's that?" Auden asked. They had reached the edge of the woods by now.

"Promise me that when we're old, you won't drop your false teeth on my head. You know, just keep them in your mouth."

Auden made an offended gasp, but she was smiling. She patted Fred's cheek. "I will if you will…grandpa."

"That's it, that's the last straw," Fred teased, he slid Auden off his back and began tickling her.

"No, stop!" she screamed, through her laughter. She managed to pry his arms away just long enough for her to run.

"Run, Auden!" Katie yelled.

Auden took off across her yard, Fred right behind her. "You can't catch me!" she yelled. She looked over her shoulder and saw Fred speeding up, a determined grin on his face.

"Gotcha!" he yelled, as he reached her and picked her up. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder.

"What is it?" Fred whispered, smoothing her hair.

"Nothing," she said. "I was just thinking how I'm so glad our parents were friends at school."

"Why's that?" Fred asked.

"Because if they weren't I might have never met you," Auden said, shrugging.

Fred grinned and gently let go of Auden until her feet were back on the ground. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Of course," she answered. She leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss. "Love you, and make sure you take care of those false teeth."

"Yeah, you too," Fred grinned, watching her back away. She stuck out her tongue before turning and running the rest of the way to her house. She paused at the door to wave at Fred, who waved back and obnoxiously clicked his teeth together. Auden laughed and disappeared inside of her house, wondering what in the world she would do without Fred.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I really enjoy reading them and they make me so excited and happy. Also thank you to everyone who has favorited any of my stories or added them to their story alert and/or added me to their favorite author list. **

**The title of this chapter comes from the song **_**The Time of My Life **_**by David Cook.**


	11. Chapter 11: Won't Go Home Without You

Summer turned into fall and fall turned into winter. Not long after the wedding, Bill and Fleur had moved into the house Muriel had given to them. The house was called Shell Cottage and it had been Muriel's until she had been kind enough to not only let Bill and Fleur live there, but use it as a safe house.

Christmas was weird again that year. Nobody was in St. Mungo's but instead, there were three people out on the run that should have been at the Burrow.

"I miss them, Fred," Auden said. It was Christmas Eve, and also their three year anniversary. She and Fred were snuggled on the couch, drinking hot chocolate in front of the fire. Everyone else had gone to bed.

"I miss them, too," he whispered.

Auden shivered slightly, despite the fire that was going and the hot chocolate in her hands. Fred noticed and set his hot chocolate down before pulling Auden onto his lap. He reached over and pulled a blanket from the back of the couch before wrapping it around them.

"I hope they're okay," Auden said as she rested her head on Fred's shoulder, spinning her mug of hot chocolate in her hands as she did so. "They're almost all I can think about."

"Well, I'm going to assume they're okay considering we haven't heard any news yet. If something happened to Harry, it would be everywhere."

"True," Auden sighed, "but still...I'm worried."

Fred was quiet for a moment. "Do you ever wish you went with them?"

Auden didn't answer right away. Instead, she chewed on her lip as she stared into the fire. "Sometimes," she whispered. "I feel bad that I told them I was going to help and then backed out, but I do know they understand. But at the same time, I still feel guilty. What if they end up needing me, or just a fourth person in general? A fourth brain to help Harry figure out what he has to do. I could've been there, but I'm not."

"Oh," Fred whispered, almost hoarsely. He swallowed. "So...you regret your decision to stay here?"

"No, of course not," Auden said, her eyes widening as she raised her head off his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "I just-it's complicated. I feel badly that I didn't go, but I know that if I had gone, I would've missed you with all of my heart. I would've been worrying and thinking about _you_ every day. No matter what I chose, I would've been missing somebody. But I don't _regret_ staying here. Doing Potterwatch with you, George, Katie and Lee has been pretty cool, actually. I like it. And even though it has its risks, it's not as dangerous as going with Harry, Ron and Hermione would have been. And that's why I'm really worried about them. It's dangerous out there, Fred. They're looking for Harry, and if they find him...things won't be good. And if they see Ron and Hermione with him, they'll know our families were lying about Ron having spattergroit and Hermione being in Australia. They'll come after us."

"I'm not going to let anyone or anything hurt you," Fred said, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind Auden's ear. "I promised you that before and I meant it."

"I know you meant it, and I appreciate it, but it's a hard promise to keep in the face of You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters," Auden sighed.

Fred shook his head. "Aud, I would die for you. I would do anything to make sure you stay safe."

Auden looked away as she felt tears come to her eyes. She wiped them away hastily as she continued to stare into her hot chocolate. Finally, she looked back up at Fred. "That's what scares me, though," she whispered, "because I would do the same for you, but this is a war and it just might come down to that. And then how am I supposed to live without you if you get taken away from me?"

Fred studied her face as he reached out and brushed away the leftover tears on her cheeks. "I guess you have a point. But how could you expect me to go on if I let something happen to you? Not only would I be distraught, but guilty as well."

Auden sighed and looked at him sadly. "I wish we didn't have to be in the middle of this war," she said. "Why does You-Know-Who have to be so..._stupid_?"

Fred chuckled. "I don't know, Aud." He pulled her closer to his chest and kissed her forehead. "But what I do know is that I love you with all of my heart and I still stand by what I said before, no matter what you say. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

* * *

Potterwatch broadcasts had been improving drastically each week, and Auden was glad. There wasn't as much interrupting each other as in the first episode and they were getting more and more information. Rumors about Harry and Voldemort were popping up that they reported either true or false, which was the easier part of the broadcast. The hard part was reporting the deaths and disappearances of various wizards, witches and Muggles.

"This is just depressing," Lee said, as they finished a broadcast in the beginning of January. They were sitting in the cave where they had held their first Potterwatch broadcast. Despite the cold weather, they were still finding caves and forests to broadcast from. They just bundled up in extra layers and built a fire wherever they were. "All of these people dying and going missing in the past few weeks just around the holidays." Lee blew a puff of air out of his mouth and shook his head.

"It's terrible," Fred agreed, "but unfortunately I don't think You-Know-Who was sitting around thinking 'hmm, Christmas is coming, I better tell my Death Eaters to lay off the evil for a while and go caroling instead'."

"He probably hates Christmas," Auden said, shivering slightly despite the fire and her winter clothes.

"I guess someone was a little too sick of getting coal every single year," George added.

"I wonder where Harry is," Katie said. "I hate not knowing."

"It's a good thing we don't know anything," George said, taking her hand. "It means they're doing a good job of hiding."

"What if they've been caught, or they died and we don't know about it?" Katie asked.

"Don't say that!" Auden gasped.

"I told you, Aud, we'd know if they were dead or if they'd been caught," Fred said, pulling Auden close to him. She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his warm body.

"Yeah," George continued, "it'd probably be on the first page of the Prophet."

"I wonder what they're doing now," Auden said.

"Probably having the time of their lives," Fred said sarcastically. "But I wonder if they've heard one of our broadcasts yet. Do you think they even brought a radio?"

"I doubt it," Lee said. "Didn't they disappear at the wedding? I don't think they were carrying around a radio, or many other things for that matter."

"Hermione's bag," Auden said, sitting up. She began to laugh.

"What about Hermione's bag and why are you laughing?" Fred asked, pulling her back against him. Then he smirked. "And try not to sit up; you're helping to keep me warm."

"I'm laughing because I just remembered that Hermione charmed her bag with a hidden enlargement charm," Auden said, giggling again.

"That small beaded one she had at the wedding?" George asked.

Auden nodded. "She probably could've fit a house in there."

"She probably _did _put a house in there," Katie laughed.

"She honestly thinks of everything," Auden said, shaking her head. "She probably put everything they needed in her bag and it's small enough so she can easily hide it in her pocket or something if she needed to."

A few minutes later, they decided to head back to the Burrow. They stood up and began the walk through the woods. There hadn't been much snow, only a dusting that had happened about a week ago and was now just about completely melted.

Suddenly, a tree branch snapped somewhere behind them. Auden felt Fred's grip on her hand tighten as he looked behind him, his wand outstretched. George and Lee had done the same.

"It was probably just an animal," Auden said, tugging on Fred's hand. She _hoped_ it was an animal, at least.

"Yeah, it must be," Fred said warily.

"Come on, let's just go," Katie whispered, pulling on George's arm and walking forward.

They had only walked a few more steps when they heard more twigs snapping, so they came to a stop. The noises continued for a second longer before stopping as well.

"I'm beginning to think that's not an animal," George said. He shared a nervous look with Fred and Lee. "They stop at the same time we stop and start walking shortly after we do."

"Maybe it's a coincidence," Auden suggested.

George shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think so."

"Maybe it's someone from the Order that's come to look for us?" Katie squeaked.

"Maybe," George whispered, but he didn't sound sure.

"I don't think it is," Lee said. "I don't know about you, maybe it's me being paranoid, but I feel like we're being watched and if it was an Order member they wouldn't just stand there and watch us. They would say something."

"Lee's right," Fred said. He looked nervous and that made Auden nervous. She also had to admit that Lee had a point and it definitely made her feel uncomfortable.

Auden moved closer to Fred and raised her wand. "Do you think it could be Death Eaters?" she whispered.

Fred opened his mouth to answer, but there was the sound of more breaking twigs, this time joined with the sound of dead leaves crunching. It sounded like footsteps from behind them. They all spun around, but the sounds stopped. Auden's stomach clenched. They were in the middle of the woods, and it was a possibility that Death Eaters were watching them.

"Should we just Apparate out of here?" George asked, looking around.

He was answered not by Auden, Fred, Lee, or Katie, but by another soft voice behind them. "I would advise you not to do that."

They spun around again to see a dirty looking man standing a few feet away from them. Auden didn't recognize him, but there was something familiar about him that she couldn't place. A few other men were standing behind him, looking just as dirty and evil.

"Snatchers," Fred whispered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.

That's why the man looked familiar, Auden realized. He was one of the leaders of the many groups of Snatchers that were traveling around the country trying to capture blood traitors and Muggle-borns. The man standing in front of them now was also the same man who had attacked Lupin all those years ago: Fenrir Greyback.

Fred, George, Auden, Katie, and Lee all raised their wands. The Snatchers only outnumbered them by one, which made them a little less intimidating.

Greyback laughed. "I don't think that's a good idea," he said.

"Why not?" Fred asked, raising his wand higher. "Scared that we might actually beat you?"

Greyback's hand twitched slightly, but Auden soon realized it wasn't a twitch, it was a signal. The other Snatchers raced forward. Auden and the others turned to run, but it was no use. Within seconds, all five of them had been caught by the Snatchers, their wands ripped from their hands.

"You really need a manicure," Auden told the Snatcher who was holding her wrists together behind her back with one hand and holding onto her upper arm with the other. He roughly shoved her back towards Greyback, who was standing in the same place, waiting. Auden noticed the other Snatchers doing the same with Fred, George, Lee, and Katie.

"Are you alright?" Fred gasped, as Auden stopped next to him.

"Fine," she said. "You?"

"Yeah," he answered, "fine."

"What a nice treat this is," Greyback said, pacing in front of them. "We weren't expecting to catch anything, but we decided to search these woods anyway, and what do you know? We come across a group of possible captives."

"You don't want us," Fred said. "We're pure-bloods. All of us."

Auden glanced at him. He knew perfectly well that the Snatchers were after blood traitors as well as Muggle-borns. She understood that he was trying to get them out of trouble, but the Snatchers would surely figure out that her family and the Weasleys were both blood traitor families.

Sure enough, Greyback asked the question Auden had been expecting. "What are your names?" He walked up to George and examined his face. Then, his eyes shifted to Fred, and back to George.

"What is it?" one of the Snatchers asked.

"These two," Greyback said slowly, indicating Fred and George, "they have the signature Weasley red hair and freckles, and don't the Weasleys have twin boys?"

"Yeah, they do," said a Snatcher.

Greyback grinned. "Aha, so we've got a couple of blood traitor Weasley's, don't we? Excellent!"

"Leave them alone, or else I'll-," Auden started, trying to step on the feet of the Snatcher holding her, but he just dug his nails into her arm deeper. She gasped and flinched as Fred scowled at the Snatcher.

"Or you'll what?" Greyback asked softly, walking towards Auden and coming to a stop in front of her. He grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to look at him.

"Don't touch her!" Fred said, his voice coming out in almost a growl.

Greyback just smirked at him, leaving his hand where it was, before turning back to Auden. "Hmm, from the sound of it, you're dating this filthy good for nothing blood traitor."

"Don't call him that!" Auden was so angry that tears were coming to her eyes.

"If you can stand to date such filth, you're probably one yourself!" Greyback stated.

"No, she's not," Fred said, lying through his teeth to try and get her out of trouble. "Let her go. You found out about me and George but let the others go."

"Are you mental?" Auden gasped.

"Well, what's your name?" Greyback asked her roughly.

Auden saw Fred's expression and it was clearly telling her to lie, but she wasn't going to. She wasn't going to get away while the Snatchers hurt Fred and George. "Auden Parker," she said bravely.

"Check the list," Greyback ordered the Snatchers in general, letting go of Auden's chin.

"She's on it…pure blood, but blood traitor family," the snatcher holding Katie said.

"What about you two?" Greyback asked Lee and Katie. He stopped in front of them now, examining them. George was eyeing Greyback as if challenging him to lay a finger on Katie.

"Lee Jordan," Lee said.

"And you?" Greyback sneered at Katie.

"Katie Bell," she said softly.

"They aren't on the list," a Snatcher said. "They're fine, then. Should we let them go?"

Greyback thought for a second. "If we do, they'll most likely go get help."

"But we can't keep them if they're pure bloods. Plus, we'll be long gone by the then," another Snatcher said.

"Fine," Greyback said. "Unless we erase their memories."

"No," George said, trying to kick the Snatcher holding him. "I mean, their relatives will wonder why their acting funny and try to investigate what happened, won't they?"

"But if their memories are erased, they won't be able to tell anyone," Greyback tapped his temple with his index finger. "Idiot boy."

"Shut up," Katie said, aiming a kick at Greyback, who dodged out of the way.

"Maybe we shouldn't erase their memories," the Snatcher holding onto Auden said. "The Dark Lord did say to leave the pure bloods alone, he doesn't want them to be harmed."

"Erasing their memories won't harm them," Greyback snapped.

"Aren't the Weasleys and the girl's family being tracked anyway?" asked another Snatcher, the one holding Fred. "The Dark Lord's been keeping an eye on them, so won't he consider bringing them in a waste of time?"

"You might have a point," Greyback said, pacing around. "We could let them go...but I don't want to. Hold on to them anyway. We can have some fun with them." He grinned evilly, while twirling his wand. Auden suspected he had stolen it when Ollivander had been kidnapped and his shop had been left empty.

"Yeah, but then-," a Snatcher started.

"Whose side are you on?" Greyback asked.

"The Dark Lord's of course, but I'm thinking of our own safety. I was going to say the parents are going to try to look for us, surely."

"They have no way of knowing where we are. If they find us, what are they going to do? No matter what, they're no match against the Dark Lord."

"What if we get away?" George asked, struggling against the Snatcher's grip.

"Well, you're being tracked anyway, and it's only Muggle borns that are supposed to be sent in for questioning, so it doesn't really matter," Greyback said. "We get rewards for both blood traitors and Muggle borns, but the Dark Lord is aware of both of your families, so he won't be very impressed if we turn you in. If you weren't being tracked, we'd probably just take you to headquarters and let the Dark Lord decide what to do with you and we'd get our reward. Anyway, we'll probably just let you go…eventually. We just want to torture you and your families for a little while. It's more fun that way."

"Torturing how?" Katie asked.

"You don't have to worry," Greyback said. "You're pretty little neck gets away unharmed…unfortunately for me." He came to a stop behind her and shifted her hair off her neck. George struggled even harder and Greyback laughed. "Anyway, if you must know, I don't know how we'll be torturing them. It depends on my mood. However I feel at the time. If they live, they live. If they die, they die. If they go insane, then so be it."

"What if I asked you to let Auden and George go too," Fred suggested. "You can just take me."

"Or," Auden said, glaring at Fred. "You can let Fred and George go." Fred was an idiot if he thought she was going to leave him.

"Or," George said. "You can let us all go."

"Or," Greyback added with an evil laugh. "I can let those two go like we planned." He signaled to the Snatchers holding Katie and Lee, who released them. Katie looked at George.

"Go," he whispered. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"No," she whispered. She tried to take a step towards him, but Lee grabbed her arm.

"Come on, Katie," he said gently. Tears were running down Katie's cheeks and she wouldn't take her eyes away from George, but she allowed Lee to drag her away.

"Get out of here. You're wasting my time," Greyback called after them.

Auden realized then that she was shaking out of a mix of cold and fear. "They'll get help," she threatened, sounding braver then she felt.

Greyback laughed, as he walked behind her. She felt his dirty fingernails lightly scrape her neck. "Let's hope you're still alive when and if they do," he hissed.

That set Fred off at once. He started fighting as hard as he could against the Snatcher holding him while shouting curses that would have surely gotten him in trouble with Mrs. Weasley.

"Silencio," Greyback said lazily, flicking his wand. Fred was forced into silence, but he was still breathing heavily. "Your attitude, Weasley, has just won you a prize. Would you like to know what that prize is? A sneak peek of the kind of torture I was talking about."

"Don't-," Auden began.

"Be quiet." With that, Greyback pointed his wand at Fred. "Crucio!"

Fred's face was scrunched up into a grimace and he was squirming in the Snatcher's hands. The silencing spell was the only thing preventing him from yelling in pain and Auden found herself oddly glad for that spell. She didn't want to have to hear Fred's screams.

"Stop it, please!" she cried, trying to rip her arms free from the Snatcher's grip. George was fighting too, but neither of them were getting anywhere and Greyback just laughed.

Finally, he lifted his wand, and Fred stopped squirming. He sank to his knees in exhaustion, and the Snatcher had to bend down to keep a hold on his wrists.

"You're sick," George said, glaring at Greyback, his voice low and hoarse. "Sick and completely mental."

Greyback laughed again. "That may be true, but it sure is fun." He turned to the Snatchers. "Let's bring them to that forest we were in last week. We caught a lot of Muggle borns in that forest. We can camp out and look more...and torture these three whenever we get bored."

The Snatcher's grip on Auden loosened for a fraction of a second and Auden took the opportunity to wrench herself free and kneel down beside Fred. "Are you alright?" she asked, forgetting he still had the silencing charm on him.

Fred simply nodded, still looking drained. His eyes were watering and he was pale.

"Can you lift the silencing charm at least?" Auden asked, glaring at Greyback.

Greyback flicked his wand as the Snatcher grabbed Auden's arm again and pulled her back.

"Let's go," Greyback said, and at once, Auden felt herself being pulled by Side Along Apparition to some unknown forest. She closed her eyes and prayed that they would escape or be rescued somehow.

* * *

**A/N: The title is the song **_**Won't Go Home Without You**_** by Maroon 5.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12: Things Are Gonna Get Better

The Snatchers took them to the middle of a forest. Auden didn't recognize it, but then again, all forests looked the same to her. Greyback went straight to work, setting up two tents by using magic.

"Put them in this one," he said, gesturing towards the smaller tent.

The Snatcher holding Auden roughly threw her inside. She hit the ground with a thud and Fred and George landed beside her.

"To make sure you don't escape," Greyback continued, "I'll have a guard outside of the tent at all times." He peered in through the tent flap at them and sneered.

"I thought you didn't care that much if we escaped," George said angrily.

"I don't," Greyback shrugged. "But you just got here. The fun hasn't even started yet. Also, we have your wands and without them, you can't Apparate. You also don't know where you are, so if you run away, good luck finding your way back home. For all you know, we could be in a different country." With a smirk, he left the tent.

"We've got to get out of here," Fred said immediately, standing up and pacing. Auden noticed his hands were shaking.

"Fred, just sit down and relax and we can figure out-," she began softly.

"I can't relax!" he yelled. Auden jumped and glanced at George. He looked slightly shocked by Fred's outburst as well.

"Fred," Auden began, her voice quiet. She looked up at him pleadingly and he stared back at her for a second before sighing.

"I'm sorry," he said, sinking to his knees between George and Auden. "It's just that I can't stand to sit here and have them torture us. It makes it worse to see them torture you two. You're two of the most important people in my life."

"What a lovely speech," George said. "I'm touched."

The corner of Fred's mouth twitched up slightly. "I'm serious," he whispered.

"They haven't done anything to us yet, Fred," Auden said gently. "And how do you think it was for George and me to watch them torture you?"

"I honestly don't think I've ever wanted to hurt someone more than I did with Greyback right then," George said, leaning back on his hands. "Except maybe Malfoy back in seventh year after that Quidditch match.…"

"That's why we have to escape," Fred said.

Auden saw his still shaking hands and put her own hands over them to stop it. "We will," she said. "I don't know how long it's going to take, but we'll get out of here."

"For now, though," George said, "why don't we try to get some sleep?"

Auden looked around the tent for the first time. It was like the one they had stayed in at the Quidditch World Cup; the size of a small apartment complete with a kitchen and even a bathroom.

George stood up and went to examine the beds. "There's only one set of bunk beds," he reported.

"You two take the beds," Auden said, standing up. "I'll take the couch."

"No," Fred said. "I'll take the couch."

"No," Auden argued, folding her arms. Fred stood up and crossed his arms too. They looked at each other with amused, but stern expressions, waiting for the other to crack.

George reached into his pocket and pulled out a Galleon. He placed it on his thumb, ready to flip, and stuck his hand in between Auden and Fred. "Picture side or blank side?" he asked Fred.

"Blank side," Fred said.

"Okay, so that means Auden is the picture side and whoever wins gets the couch," George said. "I'd just like to say that you two are very odd, fighting over who gets to sleep on the couch. Not something to argue over, by the looks of the thing."

"Just flip the coin already," Auden sighed.

George shrugged and flipped the coin. It landed on the ground a few feet away. Auden scrambled towards it, but Fred grabbed her around the waist. "No, me first," he said, but George was quicker than both of them. He dived on his stomach and cupped his hands over the top of the coin. Then, he peered through his fingers, before smirking up at Auden and Fred.

"So, what side did it land on?" Fred asked.

"Guess," George said.

"I'm not in the mood for guessing," Fred said.

"I'll bet it's the picture side," Auden said. "I win."

"Actually, you lose," George said. "It was the blank side, sorry Aud."

"Let me see that," Auden said, getting on the floor to examine the Galleon. Sure enough, it was blank side up. "Huh," she said before standing up and heading towards the bunk beds.

"Please don't tell me we're going to have to flip to see who gets top or bottom bunk," George said.

"No, I couldn't care less what bunk I have," Auden said.

"Well, I want the top one," George said, scrambling up the ladder.

"Fine," Auden answered, pulling back the covers on the bottom one. When she was done, she turned around and faced Fred, who had found a pillow and some extra blankets and was setting them on the couch. Auden watched as he fluffed the pillow in his hands once before meeting her eyes. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, fine," he answered. He shrugged nonchalantly and set the pillow down on the couch, but Auden could see that he wasn't fine at all. Something was bothering him.

She walked over and looked up into his face. "Hey," she whispered, when he looked away. When he raised his eyes to meet hers, she half-smiled and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest as she did so. "We'll be fine," she said.

"I just can't believe they're keeping us here for the fun of it," Fred whispered, holding her close and resting his chin on her head.

"I know," she whispered back.

"Why didn't you lie when they asked you what your name was? You could've gotten away."

"I wasn't going to leave you and George alone."

"We wouldn't have been alone. We'd have each other. And you could've gone for help."

Auden shrugged as she pulled out of his hold. "They were going to let Katie and Lee go anyway. So, I figured as long as they were being let go, I'd stay with you. At least now if anything happens I know about it and I don't have to sit around wondering what they were doing to you. It doesn't make it any better, but at least I don't have to wonder."

"Maybe you should've gone back to school," Fred muttered, looking away from her again.

"It won't be much better there," she said. "You-Know-Who's taking over everything. It wouldn't be the same. Plus I wanted to stay and help with Potterwatch."

"Yeah, a lot of good that's done you," Fred mumbled, sitting down on the couch.

"Fred, stop it," she whispered.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he said, looking up at her again, "what are you going to do about your NEWTS?"

"Well, I don't absolutely _need_ them to become a journalist, but they do help and it would be better if I did get them, so maybe I'll go back when this is all over," Auden said, sitting down beside Fred. She linked her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.

Fred ran his free hand through his hair and sighed.

"What is it?" Auden asked.

"All of this is my fault," Fred said, putting his head in his hands. Auden picked her head up off his shoulder and stared at his hidden face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "How did you work that one out?"

"If it wasn't for me asking you to do Potterwatch," Fred said, lifting his head, "you wouldn't be here, with a group of Snatchers waiting to torture you. You wouldn't be missing out on your last year of school. You wouldn't be delayed in getting a job later. You wouldn't have been in danger."

"Fred, no," Auden said, shaking her head. "None of this is your fault. First of all, if I hadn't joined Potterwatch, I would have gone with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and I'd still be at risk of getting caught. If I wasn't with them or with you, I'd be at Hogwarts, which is going to fall apart now that You-Know-Who's taking over. I knew that whatever choice I made would have risks and I was prepared for that. Secondly, I might not have been here with you if I hadn't joined Potterwatch, but I'd rather be here than at home and wondering what was happening to you. And lastly, I'm not missing out on school. I already said that Hogwarts isn't the same. Didn't you see the Prophet back in September? Snape's headmaster and there are Death Eaters teaching classes now. I wouldn't want to go back there and besides, like I said, I can always go back when the war's over."

Fred didn't say anything; he just stared at the ground. "If you had gone with Harry, Ron, and Hermione," he said quietly, "I probably would've gone crazy wondering if you were okay and what you were doing. I mean, it's bad enough with them gone. Harry and Hermione are like family and Ron's my little brother, but if you were with them…" he trailed off.

"Exactly, that's what I'm trying to say," Auden said. When Fred didn't answer, she leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. "Goodnight," she said softly.

"Hey," Fred said quietly, grabbing her wrist as she turned to go back to the bunk bed.

"Yes?" she asked, turning back to him.

"Being caught by Snatchers is no excuse for terrible aim." A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"What-?" Auden began, but Fred pulled her back towards him until she was sitting on his lap and proceeded to kiss her so gently and passionately and perfectly all at once that it took Auden's breath away. "Wow," she said breathlessly after she had pulled away.

"Yeah, wow," Fred said quietly, pushing a piece of Auden's hair behind her ear as his mouth turned up slightly at the corners.

"You two are like the poster people for perfect couples," said George's voice. Auden and Fred looked up to see George propped up on his side on the top bunk, staring at them.

"George, you're such a creep," Auden said, throwing Fred's pillow at him.

"I compliment you and you return it by insulting me and throwing a pillow at me?" George asked, catching the pillow.

"Yes," Auden said.

George shrugged and grinned. "Fred, we've taught her well."

Fred smiled genuinely for the first time that night and ruffled Auden's hair. "I know," he said. "I am going to need my pillow back, though."

"Nope," George said, snuggling against Fred's pillow. "You have your girlfriend to blame for that."

"She didn't make you play keep away with it," Fred said.

"Yes she did," George said. "She told me earlier when you weren't looking."

"Oh, sure, blame it on me," Auden said.

George laughed and tossed Fred's pillow back at him, hitting his twin in the face. "Look at that, perfect aim, even when I'm half asleep."

Auden and Fred laughed too, but the sound was interrupted by one of the Snatchers sneezing outside. It was enough to bring them back to the scary reality that they were being held captive by a group of Snatchers, and the leader was a dangerous werewolf.

_Werewolf,_ Auden thought suddenly, as panic raced through her. She decided to voice her fears. "What happens on the full moon?" she asked, knowing that Fred and George would understand her question.

"I don't know," Fred whispered.

"He doesn't really care what happens to us," Auden said. "And werewolves aren't themselves during the full moon. He won't understand who we are."

Fred squeezed his eyes shut. "Okay, well he just said that he wanted to torture us for a little while. Maybe he thought about all this and knows what he's doing and we'll be fine."

"Fred, this is Fenrir Greyback we're talking about," George said.

"Do either of you know when the next full moon is?" Auden asked.

"Well, the last one we had was actually last week," Fred said, scrunching his face up in thought.

"Okay, so the next one will be in February," George said. "I want to say it's on the seventh."

"Alright, so we have until February seventh to get out of here," Fred said. "Or at least away from Greyback while he's dangerous."

The three of them shared a nervous glance. "Why don't we get some sleep and start thinking of a plan tomorrow?" George asked.

Auden and Fred nodded as Fred returned to the couch and Auden crawled into the bottom bunk. There was no way that she was getting to sleep now. At least not right away.

"Fred?" she whispered into the darkness, shivering slightly.

"Yeah?" he whispered back.

"Are you scared?" she asked. It seemed like a stupid question, but she wanted to know the answer.

"Terrified," he said.

"Me too." Auden pulled the covers up to her chin. They were thin covers and doing little to keep her warm in the cold winter air. Eventually she found a comfortable position and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and the adds to story alert and favorite author/story! :)**

**The song in the title is Things Are Gonna Get Better by David Archuleta**


	13. Chapter 13: Crazy For This Girl

Auden was woken up the next morning by someone roughly pulling the blankets off of her. "Wake up," Greyback said in his gruff voice. He grabbed her arm and yanked her out of bed. She gasped and opened her eyes in time to see another Snatcher dragging George down the bunk bed ladder while yet another pulling Fred off the couch.

"What time is it?" Fred asked in an annoyed tone, rubbing his eyes and glaring at Greyback and the two other Snatchers standing in front of them.

"It's about eight in the morning and I was bored so I thought we could have a little fun." Greyback clapped his hands together.

"Oh, no," George groaned.

"Oh, yes," Greyback said. "Let's start with the girl, shall we?" He grabbed Auden's arm again and began dragging her from the tent. She whimpered and tried to pull away as his sharp nails dug into her arm.

"Let her go," Fred said in a low, angry voice. He took a step forward as his hands balled into fists.

Greyback turned and smirked at him. "Don't want to," he answered, dragging Auden towards the entrance again.

Fred lunged towards them, but Greyback flicked his wand and Fred was blasted backwards into the coffee table sitting in front of the couch. He slid across it and onto the floor.

"Fred!" Auden yelled, but Greyback had dragged her outside before she could see anything else besides George rushing to his brother's side. "What did you do to him?" she asked angrily, trying to wrench herself free.

"You'll find out later…if you're lucky," Greyback said. He roughly pulled her into the trees, away from the clearing that they were camping out in. "I discovered something last night," he said quietly.

"What would that be?" Auden asked. His hand was still tightly grasping her arm.

"You're one of Harry Potter's best friends."

"Oh, no, not this again," Auden said impatiently. "The Death Eaters have already asked me and the Weasleys about Harry. We don't know anything. That's why we're being tracked."

Greyback moved quickly. He roughly threw Auden to the ground and pointed his wand at her. She looked up at him, gasping from the shock of her fall.

"Don't take that impatient tone with me," he snarled in a whisper. He took a step towards her and she scrambled backwards. Greyback kept walking towards her and she kept moving backwards until she was against a tree.

"If that's what you're wondering," she began, "I didn't know anything then, and I don't know anything now."

Greyback crouched down in front of her, his wand still pointing at her face. "Do you know what kind of reward I would get for capturing Harry Potter?"

"I honestly don't know where he is and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!" Auden said, staring bravely into Greyback's face.

Greyback made an angry yell that came out like a growl and flicked his wand. Auden felt a sharp pain in her collarbone and when she looked down, there was a fairly large gash. "Whoops," Greyback said, raising his eyebrows and smirking.

Auden looked back up at him, clenching her teeth together.

"Now, maybe you can tell me this," Greyback said. "Is Harry Potter traveling alone?"

"Yes," Auden lied. "He felt he needed to go alone. Besides, we've told the Death Eaters that Ron is sick with spattergroit and Hermione is in Australia."

Greyback snorted. "Well, that's Potter for you, always playing the _brave,_ _important_ hero."

"It's not playing. It's all real and he's a lot braver than you and the other Snatchers are," Auden told him. She was going to pay for that, but she didn't care.

"How dare you," Greyback said. "Crucio!"

Auden curled up into a ball as she screamed. She tried to tell herself to just wait it out, the pain wouldn't last forever, but it was hard to think straight. Finally, Greyback lifted the curse. "Are you going to talk now?"

"About what? I don't know what you want me to tell you," Auden said, determined to not let the breathless exhaustion show in her voice.

"I want to know about Harry Potter!" Greyback yelled, flicking his wand again and making another gash appear, this time on Auden's upper arm, just before her shoulder. She flinched and bit her lip, but kept her mouth shut.

"You're a tough one to crack," Grayback said, running his hand through his stringy hair. "Crucio!"

Auden wanted it to stop, but she wasn't going to crack. Fred had had the curse performed on him yesterday and he had done his best to look brave. If he could do it, so could she. Although, the amount of time that Greyback was using the curse on Auden was longer than he had used it on Fred. It seemed to be lasting forever. Auden was beginning to feel sure that she was actually going to die out here.

Finally, Greyback lifted the curse. Auden lay there, gasping for breath and shivering. She felt like she couldn't move.

"The world could do without back-talking filth like you," Greyback said, lowering his wand. He aimed a kick at her side before walking away.

Auden rolled over onto her back, still struggling to breathe. Her right shoulder and collarbone area were throbbing and still bleeding, although not as badly as before. She also felt that her ribs had been bruised from the kick. They didn't feel broken at least.

"Auden?" She heard a voice yell from through the trees. It sounded like George.

"Auden, please say something so we can find you," Fred's voice yelled, sounding panicked.

"I'm here," she said, trying to make her voice as loud as she could.

"There she is," she heard George say. Footsteps crunched through the leaves and within seconds, Fred and George were crouched down on either side of her.

"Oh, Auden," Fred whispered, horrified. "What did he do to you?"

"Cuts," Auden whispered, gesturing to her cuts, "and the Cruciatus Curse. Then he kicked me." She gestured to her ribs.

"Are they broken?" Fred asked.

"I don't think so," Auden said. She tried to sit up, but she flopped back to the ground with a groan almost at once. Everything hurt, and she was weak from the Cruciatus Curse. Besides that, she was cold.

"Does this hurt?" George asked, gently touching her ribs.

"Yes," she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"They don't look broken," Fred said, biting his lip. "I think they're just bruised. We've got to fix them…the cuts too. I can't believe he did this to you. I swear I'm going to hurt him for doing this."

"We don't have wands," Auden whispered.

"I might just strangle him with my bare hands," Fred said, his voice low and angry.

Auden gave a small laugh. "Don't, though, seriously. I don't want you to end up hurt."

"I don't care," Fred said, pushing her hair off her forehead.

"Well I do," Auden answered. "He's going to get around to torturing you as it is and I don't want you to make it any worse by taunting him."

Fred was quiet for a moment. "You're shivering," he finally observed. It was true. Even though Auden still had her coat on from doing Potterwatch, it wasn't enough to keep her completely warm, especially after spending hours outside in the cold. They hadn't been somewhere warm since the afternoon before.

"Not too badly," Auden assured him.

"Don't lie, I can see you shaking," Fred whispered. He pulled off his own jacket and wrapped it around her.

"Don't," she whispered hoarsely. "You'll be cold."

"I don't care about me," he said. He was quiet for a moment. "Come on, let's get you back to the tent."

"Do you need help lifting her?" George asked.

"No, I can do it," Fred responded. "Thanks, though. Aud, let me know if I'm hurting you."

Auden nodded as Fred gently scooped her into his arms. "How did you know where to find me?" she asked, resting her head against Fred's chest.

"We were coming out of the tent to look for you and Greyback when we saw him coming out of the woods," George said. "He told us to come and find you and he looked all smug. Honestly, I expected it to be worse than this from the look on his face."

"What happened to you when he blasted you over the table?" Auden asked Fred.

"All he did was blast me backwards to stop me from getting to you. Nothing serious."

They had reached the tents by now. The Snatchers could be heard laughing from their tent, all except one that was positioned in front of the other tent as a guard. He raised his eyebrows slightly as they passed, but showed no other emotion.

Fred set Auden down gently on the bottom bunk bed. "George, do you know how to fix injuries without wands?"

"No, do you?" George asked.

"Not a clue," Fred answered.

"Auden?" George asked hopefully.

"Hey, I'm the injured one here," she said, smiling faintly. "But no, I don't know how."

"We could probably just clean the cuts and put bandages on them," George said. "I don't know about the ribs though. If they really are bruised, they probably heal on their own."

"Magic would be faster, though," Fred said impatiently.

"At least everything _can_ be cured," Auden said. To be honest, she was just thankful for that and thankful that Greyback hadn't caused any damage that was more serious or life-threatening.

"Yeah, but I want you cured now," Fred whispered. "I can't stand to see you like this."

Auden smiled and reached up to put a hand on his cheek. "I'm really okay."

"Yeah, well you don't look it," Fred said, a grin starting to form on his lips.

"Jerk," Auden laughed. She stopped suddenly and flinched as her bruised ribs throbbed.

"How are we going to get something to clean the cuts?" George asked.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound at the tent entrance. A small bowl was being pushed through the flap.

"What-?" George began, getting up to inspect the bowl. "It looks like cleaning potion…kind of like the one mum used to clean off my ear."

"What if it's a trick and it's something that's going to injure her further?" asked Fred.

"I don't think it is," George said, picking up the bowl and sniffing it. "It smells normal, and it looks normal, too."

"Well, which one of them gave it to us?" Auden asked. "And why?"

George stuck his head out of the tent flap. Auden could hear his voice talking to the Snatcher guard. "Did someone come by to give us this?"

"No, nobody came by," the guard said.

"So…did you give it to us?" George asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the guard answered in a voice of someone trying to be innocent. He lowered his voice. "Here, you can borrow this for the ribs and to heal the cuts after you clean them. I just need it back."

Auden shared a look with Fred. What was the guard giving George? More importantly, why was he helping them? It was confusing, to say the least. He was genuinely being nice and trying to help them, but at the same time, he was part of the group that caught them in the first place.

"Are you serious? Your wand?" George asked.

"Yes, just like I said, I need it back as soon as you're done, and don't mention this to any of the others or you'll regret it."

"Okay, thanks," George said, sounding surprised and somewhat skeptical.

"He's trying to help us?" Auden asked in a hushed voice as George returned to the tent.

"I guess so." George looked stunned as he looked at the items in his hands.

"Well, bring those over," Fred said, looking as stunned as George.

George knelt down next to his twin beside the bed and placed the bowl and wand on the floor.

"Okay, Healer Assistant George," Fred said. "Are you ready to heal this lovely young patient?"

"Why do I have to be the assistant?" George asked.

"Because that's the way it is," Fred said. "Now please hand me the wand."

George obeyed the order, rolling his eyes at Auden. "Are you sure you trust this one to heal you, Aud?"

"Well," Auden said thoughtfully, "who's the one who usually fixes the problems when you guys test your products?"

"I do," Fred and George said at the same time. They glanced at each other and their mouths twitched into tiny, identical smiles.

Auden sighed. "Okay, I don't care who does it but just fix my ribs and give that guy back his wand before he changes his mind."

"Okay," Fred whispered, "if I'm going to fix this you're going to have to take off the jackets and roll your shirt up. You know, just so I can see the damage and have clear access."

Auden nodded, pulled Fred's jacket off of her shoulders and slipped out of her own. She pulled her shirt up just enough to reveal the side of her ribcage, which was turning a horrible black and blue color tinted with red. Fred was gripping the wand like he was considering murdering every Snatcher holding them captive. He probably really was considering it.

"Oi, Fred," George waved his hand in front of his twins face. "Staring at the bruise isn't going to heal it. And don't grip the wand so tightly. It's no good if you break it."

"Right, sorry." Fred blinked and shook his hair out of his eyes. He pointed the wand at Auden's side and waved it over the bruise, which vanished instantly. "Better?" he asked nervously.

"Much better," Auden sighed.

Fred stood and moved himself on the edge of the bed so that he could examine Auden's shoulder and collarbone better. Auden's long sleeved shirt had been torn where the cut was and it was dirty with her blood.

"Will this make it easier?" Auden asked, as she slowly pulled her arm out of the sleeve, wincing as she moved it.

"Yeah, that works," Fred said. "George, can I have the cleaning potion, please?"

George silently handed Fred the bowl and a small cloth that he had found in the tent. Fred put the cloth in the bowl and reached towards the cut on Auden's collarbone. He hesitated for a minute.

"What?" she asked.

"This is probably going to sting a little bit," he said softly.

"I think I can handle it," Auden whispered with a small smile.

Fred returned the smile and gently pressed the cloth to Auden's shoulder. She bit her lip as she felt the sting of the potion against her skin. "I'm fine," she said as Fred pulled the cloth away quickly and looked at her with a concerned look in his eyes.

Fred continued to clean the two cuts and when he was finished, he waved the wand over them, causing them to completely disappear. Auden looked up to see him letting out a sigh, as if he had been holding his breath.

"Thanks," Auden whispered, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"No problem," Fred answered quietly as Auden began to slip her arm back into her sleeve. He got up and crossed the tent to the kitchen area. A moment later, Auden heard cupboards opening and closing.

"Er, Fred, what are you doing?" George asked, returning from giving the Snatcher back his wand.

"I'm checking to see if there's any food in this tent. We need to eat and I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."

"Anything good in there?" Auden called.

"A box of spaghetti," Fred answered slowly.

"Are you joking?" Auden laughed.

"No," Fred answered. He paused. "I'm going to have to make this the Muggle way. No magic."

"Need some help?" Auden asked.

"No, you stay there," Fred ordered.

"But I'm all better, thanks to you."

"Still, you need to rest and it's really not a big deal for me to make this," Fred said, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Fred, really," Auden said.

"Just stay," Fred answered, now pointing a wooden spoon at her. "Stay there and I'm going to cook for all of us."

Auden flopped against her pillow. "Fine, just don't forget to stir it," she said as George laughed. "I'm not going to be over there reminding you."

"I can handle it, Auden," Fred chuckled. "Just stay where you are."

"You know, you'd better listen to him, Aud, or else he'll chase you with his spoon. You see, he takes after mum."

Auden had to laugh at George's comment. "Fred, are you sure you can handle this?"

"Yeah, I mean, I've done it before. Once. With your help. But really, it can't be more difficult than the lasagna we made," Fred shrugged, taking out multiple pots and pans. He stared at all of them, looking confused.

"You're right, it's way easier," Auden smirked. "So if you mess up, it's going to be hysterical."

"Great," Fred said, still looking at the pots.

Auden giggled. "Use the pot in the middle. The other two are too big."

"Right, I knew that," Fred said. "I was just testing you to see if you knew."

"Sure you were," Auden snorted.

"It's true," Fred said, a small smile twitching the corners of his mouth upwards.

"Fred?" Auden asked after a few minutes of watching him in the kitchen.

"Yes, my dear patient?" Fred asked.

"You do know that you need to turn the stove on for the water to boil, right?"

"Oh, yeah, I know," Fred said, quickly turning knobs on the stove in an attempt to turn it on.

Auden laughed. "I would come over and help you, but I'm not allowed to get out of bed."

"Now you're just being mean," Fred teased, finally getting the right knob.

"Oh, and again, don't forget to _stir it_," Auden added.

"Yeah, yeah," Fred sighed, cracking a small smile.

"What's wrong, George?" Auden asked, noticing George's strange expression. It was almost as if he were sad and happy at the same time.

"Nothing," George shook his head as Fred continued cooking, unaware of the conversation going on behind him. "It's just that watching you two together really makes me miss Katie, that's all."

"Oh, George, I'm sorry," Auden said, giving him a sympathetic look. Of course he missed Katie. It only made sense and Auden felt terrible that he couldn't be with her right now. She wished there was some way to get word to Katie that George was fine because Katie probably missed him just as much, if not more, than he missed her. She also felt bad that she and Fred were together while George and Katie were separated. It wasn't all that fair.

"No need to be sorry," George said. "It's not your fault. I wonder if she and Lee have gotten help yet."

"I'm sure they've told someone, but they have no idea what forest we're in. _We_ don't even know what forest we're in."

"We've got to get back," George sighed, shaking his head.

"I know," Auden said, sitting up and resting her elbows on her knees. She leaned her chin on her arms and quietly watched Fred racing around the kitchen. "I hate seeing him like this."

"Like what?" George said.

"You know what I mean. You must have noticed it," Auden said. "He just hasn't quite been himself and it's all because of me."

"What are you talking about?" George asked. "It's not all because of you."

"He's blaming himself because he asked me to join Potterwatch and then we got captured. He thinks it's his fault that I'm here and that it's his fault that I'm not back at school and I just wish I wasn't making him so upset."

"Auden, listen," George said quickly, his eyes wide. "You're not making him upset. It's them, the Snatchers that are making him angry. And he's blaming himself because he wants to protect you. He wants you to be safe."

"I don't even know where safe is anymore," Auden sighed. "I just feel so bad. I mean, I lose my memory and hurt him. Then we're caught by Snatchers and I get tortured. If I went back to school, he'd be worried, and if I went with Harry, he'd be worried. I just feel like I can't make him happy."

George was silent for a moment. "He loves you. You know that, right? I mean, he's liked his share of girls, and you know he dated Angelina, but I've never, ever seen him look at a girl the way he looks at you."

"Really?" Auden whispered. Her stomach fluttered slightly in happiness at George's words.

"Really," George nodded. "You know how twins are supposed to sense the other's feelings?"

"Yeah," Auden nodded.

"Well when he's near you it's like I can sense his happiness. You make him happy, not sad. I don't think you could ever make him sad. I think he's just feeling that he doesn't know what to do to make sure you're safe. He knows that no matter where you are, you're in danger. We all are. Ultimately, though, I think he's just glad you're with him." George smiled and put a hand comfortingly on Auden's knee.

"Thanks, George," Auden said. "And for the record, if I know what look you're talking about, then I see you look at Katie the same way."

George smiled and looked down at his hands, but he didn't have time to say anything, because Fred appeared with a small tray that contained three plates of spaghetti. "There's not much," he said, "but it's food."

"Hey, it smells good," Auden smiled, taking a plate from the tray.

"Your surprised tone insults me," Fred said, sitting on the floor beside George.

Auden put her fork down. "I don't want you to sit on the floor. Sit on the bed, it's more comfortable." She patted the end of the bed.

Fred and George looked at each other and shrugged before climbing onto the bed.

"So how is it?" Fred asked.

"Disgusting," George said with a smile.

"George is being mean," Auden grinned. "It's delicious. Good job, Freddie." She patted Fred's knee and he grinned.

* * *

When they finished eating, they spent the rest of the day trying to figure out a way to escape. They needed to first figure out a way to get their wands back, which was going to be difficult since Greyback was most likely keeping them in his tent and sneaking in there would take some planning. Around dinnertime, one of the Snatchers brought in a single bowl of soup along with two empty bowls.

"Just one?" Fred asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Greyback says you can share," the Snatcher said. He gestured to the two empty bowls before leaving the tent.

After they finished sharing the soup, Fred noticed Auden stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"Tired?" he asked, standing up and taking her and George's soup bowls along with his own.

"Fred, let me do the dishes," George said. He gestured to Auden's bed. "Go sit."

Fred let George take the dishes from him before sitting down on Auden's bed again and pushing hair away from her face gently. "You should get some sleep."

"I'm not that tired," Auden said.

"Ah, well I think you are," Fred answered, standing up and pulling the covers over Auden. He bent down to kiss her goodnight, but Auden grabbed his wrist.

"Will you stay here until I fall asleep?" she asked, looking up at him almost pleadingly. Truthfully, she didn't want him sleeping on the couch again. She needed him beside her.

"I am here. I'll be in the tent, there's not much room where I can go," Fred smiled.

"I know, but will you stay here, here?" she pointed to the small space next to her.

Fred smiled. "Sure," he said, pulling the covers back again and climbing in beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. He gently stroked her hair as she shivered slightly. "You should put a jacket on again," he whispered.

"But I'm too comfortable to move," she answered sleepily. "Besides, I have these blankets…and you."

"These blankets are so thin, though. They do nothing."

"Like I said, I have you. We can keep each other warm." There was silence between them for a moment. "I love you," Auden whispered in a voice that was barely audible. Fred smiled and he could've sworn his insides melted.

"I love you too," he whispered back. He continued stroking her hair until her breathing became slow and even.

George had finished the dishes and was just passing by the tent flap when he paused, tilting his head slightly.

"What is it?" Fred mouthed.

George put a finger to his lips and pointed to the tent flap to indicate that he was listening to a conversation. Fred kept still in order to hear better. The Snatcher guarding their tent was talking to another Snatcher.

"Yeah, there's a taboo on his name now," the guard was saying.

"A taboo?" the second man asked.

"Yeah, I guess if anyone says the Dark Lord's name, all the Snatchers know about it at once. Greyback didn't say how we know if it happens, but we're supposed to be able to locate the people who used the name. All their protective charms break if they have any and we get to take them in."

"What's the point of that?" asked the second Snatcher.

"Greyback said that it's mostly Order members that use the name and supposedly Potter was never afraid to use it either," said the guard. Fred's eyes widened. What if they caught Harry?

"Has anyone been caught yet?

"Not that I know of," the guard said. Fred relaxed as the guard continued. "I did overhear Greyback saying that the Dark Lord isn't even in England anymore. He's travelling, but I don't know why."

"I wonder why that could be," the second Snatcher said.

There was silence for a moment before the guard chuckled. "I've been hearing about rumors, too."

"About the Dark Lord?"

"Yes," said the guard. "Like how people can die just from looking into his eyes. That just seems ridiculous. Sounds like a type of mythology tale."

"I agree," the second Snatcher said. There was a sound like leaves rustling. "I guess I better get some sleep."

"Wow," Fred breathed after a moment. "You-Know-Who travelling. I wish we knew why."

"Yeah, me too," George whispered, turning away from the flap and climbing sitting down at the end of Auden's bed. "You know, the guard doesn't seem that bad."

"He's still a Snatcher," Fred said, slowly trailing his finger up and down Auden's arm as she slept.

"I know, but I don't have a bad feeling about him like I do with the others."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but I still don't trust him," Fred said.

"Neither do I," George answered through a yawn. "Not completely, anyway."

Fred looked down at Auden's sleeping figure as she shivered slightly in her sleep. Fred smiled slightly. Apparently his body heat wasn't keeping her as warm as she had thought. "Hey, George, pass me my jacket, will you?" He gestured to his coat, lying beside George on the bed. When George hadned it to him, he gently pulled Auden to a sitting position, and, without waking her, slipped the jacket around her shoulders before lying back against the pillows again and pulling her with him. He looked at George again as his twin stood up to climb into the top bunk. "Will you be warm enough?" he asked.

George shrugged and nodded. "I suppose so."

Fred grinned and shook his head before tilting it to the other side of the bed he was on. "Get in on her other side," he said.

George returned the smile and crawled over Auden's legs as gently and quietly as he could. He slowly made himself comfortable on her other side as best as he could. It was difficult to fit the three of them in the single bunk bed, but it didn't matter. It made them warmer and they were less afraid that way. It was just like when they were kids and would fall asleep on the Burrow's couch together after a long day of playing Quidditch and running around outside.

"Goodnight, Fred," George whispered.

"Goodnight George," Fred said. He looked back down at Auden's sleeping figure and rested his cheek against her soft hair. He would make sure they got out of there if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used was **_**Crazy for This Girl**_** by Evan and Jaron.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14: Halfway Gone

The next day was the same as the day before, only this time Greyback came for Fred. He barged in to their tent as early as he had the previous day and woke everyone up before grabbing Fred by the collar.

"Please don't," Auden begged, a look of fear in her eyes. She knew just what Greyback was going to do to torture him and she couldn't bear even thinking about all the pain it was going to cause Fred.

"Sorry," Greyback shrugged, a smirk crossing his face. "You and I had a nice little chat yesterday and I think it's only fair that I give everyone equal treatment."

"Why can't you just leave us alone and let us go back home?" George demanded, crossing his arms. Auden agreed with him. This was ridiculous. Keeping them there and torturing them was simply a game to these Snatchers, but it wasn't funny to Auden, Fred and George.

"I don't want to just yet," Greyback answered, pulling Fred away.

"I'll be okay," Fred mouthed to Auden and George as he disappeared.

Auden stood facing the tent flap for a moment, just staring at where Fred had disappeared. When she turned around, George was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. Auden sat down next to him, her stomach fluttering with nerves.

"What did he ask you yesterday?" George asked quietly.

"He just wanted to know about Harry because he realized that I was close to him. It was the same stuff the Death Eaters asked after the wedding. I don't know what he's going to ask Fred."

"And he hurt you when you didn't answer?"

"Yes," Auden said. "And if I gave him attitude. He was being an idiot. I knew it would get me in trouble, but at that point I didn't care."

"I wish we knew how we could sneak our wands back," George said, running his hands through his hair.

"George," Auden said slowly. She tilted her head towards the tent flap. "Do you think he would help us?"

"Who, the guard?" George asked, raising his head.

"Yeah," Auden answered. "I mean, he helped us yesterday."

"Yeah, but that was just to help heal your injuries. I don't know if he'd help us escape. He might get caught and who knows what Greyback would do to him."

"Greyback would think it was us that stole the wands. He wouldn't have to know that a Snatcher did it. He probably wouldn't expect one of his own 'friends' to help us escape."

"Maybe," George said, now looking thoughtful. "We've got to get out of here soon so it's worth a shot."

"After we get our wands back, we can just Apparate out of here," Auden said.

"So we're getting the guard to do our dirty work, huh?" George asked.

"Basically," Auden shrugged. "When do you think we should ask him?"

"Later tonight, after Fred comes back and we've told him the plan."

Auden nodded and stood up from the couch. She blew out a puff of air and began pacing around the tent while George sat on the couch, looking pale and worried.

"What's taking so long?" Auden asked a few minutes later. "How long was _I_ gone for?"

George glanced at his watch. "It was around this time that Greyback came back from the woods yesterday."

"I hate this," Auden said, sighing in frustration. It was absolute torture waiting for Fred to come back. She was almost expecting him to have injuries, but she wasn't sure how bad they would be or even if she and George would be able to heal them. What if the guard decided not to help them this time? Essentially, she was anxious, nervous, scared and worried all at once.

"So do I," George whispered, agreeing with her statement.

Auden stopped pacing and looked at George. He was probably more scared than she was. Fred was his family, his twin brother. He had a deeper connection with Fred than Auden had. "I can only imagine how hard this must be for you," she said, sitting down on the couch again.

"I feel so helpless," George said. "I mean, my twin brother is in danger and I can't do anything to help him."

"I know," Auden said, patting George's knee. "Well, I kind of know. I mean, I'm not Fred's twin and I don't have that connection like you two do, but I do love him."

George smiled weakly at her and she smiled back. It was then that the tent flap opened and Fred was thrown into the tent roughly. He hit the ground and lay there, his breathing ragged.

Auden and George raced to his side. "Fred?" Auden squeaked, touching his arm.

"Fred, say something," George whispered. "Tell us what he did to you."

Fred opened his eyes, one of which was turning black and blue. He let out a small groan and sat up with difficulty. His nose was bleeding and crooked. Auden suspected it was broken.

"Fred, talk to us," Auden said, helping him sit the rest of the way up. Fred groaned with pain again and Auden saw why. One of his legs had a gash on the side running from the knee to the ankle and it was bleeding pretty badly.

"Is there anything else besides your nose, eye and leg?" George asked. Auden saw him wrench his eyes away from his twin's bleeding leg, looking sickened.

Fred took a shaky breath and reached up to touch his nose gingerly. "No," he whispered.

"Did he use the Cruciatus Curse?" Auden asked.

Fred nodded weakly. "Yeah."

"Help me move him to the couch," George ordered Auden. "I'll get his arms, you get his legs."

Auden nodded in agreement before examining Fred's injured leg, wondering how she was going to touch it without hurting him. She picked up his ankle as far down as she could before grabbing his other ankle with her other hand as George grabbed his twin under the arms.

"Okay, ready, set, lift," George said.

Auden lifted as carefully as she could, but Fred inhaled sharply anyway. "I'm sorry, Fred, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Don't worry about it," he managed to choke out.

As soon as they had placed Fred on the couch, the tent flap rustled and the wand and another bowl of cleaning potion slid through. George and Auden looked at each other before George scrambled to retrieve the items. Auden sighed with relief. They would be able to heal Fred. She wouldn't have to see him like this anymore. She was glad. It was almost painful for her to look at the injuries Greyback had given him.

"Fred, you're going to be okay," Auden said, moving to kneel by his head. She ran her fingers through his hair. A moment later, George returned and handed her the wand.

"Want to get his nose?" he asked.

Auden nodded and pointed the wand at Fred's nose. She performed the spell, and with a small cracking noise, Fred's nose was snapped back into place.

Fred sighed and ran his hand over the bridge of his nose. "How does it look? Am I still better looking than George?"

"Not with blood all over your face," Auden smiled as she stood up. She retrieved a damp towel, knelt back down beside Fred, and began gently cleaning his face.

George was examining the cut leg. He let out a low whistle. "Wow, Fred, this looks a lot deeper than Auden's cuts, and it's a lot bigger. What'd you say to make him so angry?"

Fred gave a weak chuckle. "Nothing, I just didn't tell him everything he wanted to hear."

"Fred," George said. "I know there's more." He dipped a rag into the cleaning potion.

"Fine," Fred said. "I told him that nothing he was doing was going to make us tell him anything about Harry or our families and we weren't going to crack. I may also have cursed at him a few times."

"Fred!" Auden exclaimed, half-scolding him. What had he been thinking? It wasn't a good idea to push Greyback. He meant business. He could cause them much more harm than a few cuts and a broken nose. He was a _werewolf_ for heaven's sake.

"What did you want me to do, Aud?" Fred asked, looking at her. "He was torturing me. He tortured you yesterday and tomorrow he's coming for George. I'm not going to sit back and let him do that without letting him know how I feel about it."

"I think he knows how we feel," Auden said, pursing her lips. "He knows what he's doing is upsetting and unfair. That's why he's doing it, I think. He's twisted like that. But we can't push him. What he's done to us so far is nothing compared to what he's really capable of."

Fred said nothing. Instead, he let out a puff of air through his mouth. "You told him off yesterday," he said.

"Yes, but I didn't curse at him. I-look," Auden sighed, running a hand through her hair. "How about we all just try our very best to hold our tongues with him from now on? We want to get out alive."

Fred nodded. "Fine," he muttered.

The tent was silent for a moment. "So he asked you about Harry then?" Auden finally asked, setting the towel down as she finished cleaning Fred's face.

"A little bit," Fred answered quietly. His breathing was still kind of shallow and ragged, but not as bad as it had been. "He mostly just used the Cruciatus Curse on me. I swear I was so close to passing out, but luckily he stopped."

George didn't say anything and Auden just bit her lip. George lifted the rag from the bowl and gently put it on Fred's leg. Fred scrunched his face up in pain as the rag made contact. "Sorry," George whispered.

Auden took Fred's hand and noticed the scars from Umbridge's quill still just visible on the back of his hand. Auden still had hers, too, and do did George. It seemed like a small injury compared to what they were going through now and almost miniscule compared to what Greyback was really capable of.

After George had finished cleaning Fred's leg, he waved the wand and the cut cleared up. George continued to stare at the spot where the injury had been until Auden gently took the wand from his hand.

"And now for your eye," she said, aiming the wand at Fred's bruised eye and chewing on her tongue. She muttered the incantation and the bruise faded away to nothing. "As good as new," she sighed, setting the wand down.

"I just thought of something," George said. "What happens if Greyback sees you two completely unharmed? He knows we don't have wands or any way to mend the injuries."

Auden thought for a minute before picking the wand up again. She waved it over her shoulder and bandages appeared. Then, she did the same for Fred's leg. "I'm going to leave your jeans ripped like that for now so it's more believable," she said.

"What about Fred's eye and his nose?" George asked. "And how will we explain where we got the bandages if we're asked?"

"We'll tell him that we found the bandages in the tent. And as for Fred's eye, it only really started to bruise once he got back here, so I doubt Greyback noticed."

"And my nose?" Fred asked.

"I don't know about that," Auden said. "We'll just have to hope he doesn't say anything."

"Have we figured out a way to get our wands back?" Fred asked.

"Yeah," Auden said. "We're going to ask the guard to help us. He's been helping us to mend the injuries."

"Do you think he'll steal our wands back, though?" Fred asked, trying to prop himself up on his elbows, but falling back from weakness.

"I don't know, but it's worth a shot," Auden said.

"We were going to ask him today," George added.

"Do it now," Fred urged. "Go bring him his wand and ask him."

"Just like that?" Auden asked as George stood up.

Fred nodded and George walked towards the tent flap. He paused before leaving the tent. "Excuse me," he said, stepping out of the tent and looking at the guard, who glanced over at him and held out his hand for his wand.

George placed it in his hand, but didn't move.

"Do you have something to say?" the guard asked, still looking straight ahead.

"Er, yes, actually," George said. "I, all of us, actually, wanted to thank you for what you've done for us."

The guard gave a small nod. "I take it you'll be needing everything again tomorrow. Greyback's going to take you next, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," George said. "But there's something else I wanted to ask."

"What would that be?" the guard asked.

"Do you think you could somehow get us our wands back?"

The guard looked at George for the first time. "Why would I do that? Greyback isn't ready to let you go yet. If I help you escape, who knows what kind of trouble I'll be in?"

George sighed. "He's keeping us for pointless reasons."

"He wants to know about Harry Potter," the guard said.

"We don't know where Harry is. He's in hiding. It's stupid to ask us. He's not getting anywhere. He'd get further by just looking through every forest in England."

The guard didn't say anything for a moment. "Do you want to know why I joined Greyback?"

"Er, sure," George said.

"He threatened to take my kids and, you know…" the guard didn't finish his sentence, but George knew what he was going to say.

"So you joined him to save your kids?" George asked.

The guard nodded. "It seems like I joined the Dark Lord when you look at the big picture, but what happened was that Greyback said that he would leave my family alone if I joined his group of Snatchers rounding up blood traitors and Muggle borns."

"How old are your kids?" George asked.

"Nine and ten," the guard said. "So close to starting school. I want them to enjoy school and not be afraid to go there. The war isn't really allowing that to happen, but being taken by a werewolf would definitely not allow them to have a happy childhood."

"Wow," George breathed.

"Yeah," the guard said. "Anyway, I'll have to think about helping you escape. I want to, but if I'm caught…"

"I know," George said.

"I don't know if it'll be me or my family in trouble. It might even be both."

"I understand, but you know, Greyback might think we stole back the wands. He might not think it was you."

The guard was quiet. "I'll think about it," he said finally.

George nodded. "Oh, and one more thing. On the full moon…"

"Greyback never changes around us, but he forgets who he is, and we're in the woods. He usually tells us to put up protective spells for the night, but I don't know now that you're here."

"I think that's when we're planning to escape," George said. "So you have until February 7th to think about helping us."

"Are you mental? Escaping with a werewolf running around?"

"If we get our wands back, we can just disapparate. None of us will have to leave the protective spells," George reasoned.

"What if he doesn't use them?"

"We'll still be gone, and you could put up protective spells anyway and take them down in the morning before he gets back," George's answer came easily.

"How am I supposed to get past the others if I do decide to help?"

George nodded towards the guard's own wand. "I don't know. Unless you're willing to hand that over to one of us and we'll go do it on our own."

"Like I said, I'll think about it," the guard said, before gazing straight ahead once again.

As George walked back into the tent, Auden looked up. "What did he say?" she asked.

"He said he'd think about it," George answered. "I told him he had until February 7th to make up his mind because that's when we're escaping, while Greyback isn't here."

"How do you know he won't be here?" Fred asked.

"The guard told me. He said Greyback's never around on full moons and he usually puts up protective spells to protect the other Snatcher's in case he comes across them, but he doesn't know what he'll do now that we're here."

George then quickly told them the story about the guard's worry for his children.

"That's awful," Fred said quietly, his voice still hoarse.

Auden nodded. Now it all made sense why the guard was helping them. After a few minutes, she spoke again. "Should we have a back-up plan? You know, in case he decides not to help us."

"I have no idea what we can do if he doesn't help us. At least he can get into the Snatcher's tent. We can't even get in there without being thrown out immediately."

"Not if we go when they're asleep. Have you forgotten how to prank people, George?" Fred asked, a smile appearing on his lips.

"We aren't pranking anyone, Fred. This is serious," Auden told him.

"I know it is, but sometimes the best pranks have to be pulled on somebody when they're asleep."

Over the next few weeks, George, Auden, and Fred developed a back-up plan. They would sneak into the tent while the Snatchers were asleep and steal back their wands. Then, they would disapparate. It sounded easy enough, but the hard part would be stealing their wands back without waking anyone up.

If the guard did decide to help them, he would use his wand to Confund any Snatcher that woke up when he stole the wands.

Greyback had come for George the day after he had questioned Fred. Every day, he would take one of them each to question and torture them. Each day, they never told him anything, and each day they were tortured horribly. If it wasn't for the guard providing them with his wand, they would've been in too much pain to come up with any plan of escape, much less follow through with it.

All three of them, oddly enough, also had one cut that had been too deep or severe to be cured completely and had resulted in small scars. Auden's was on her left shoulder, opposite the one she had gotten on the first day of torture. Fred's was on his stomach, and George's was on the side of his nose. It was as if Greyback had wanted them to have one injury that never went away and reminded them of their capture.

On the morning of February 7th, they sat in the tent, each of them sitting on the floor in a circle. They had been talking, but had fallen silent. The guard hadn't gotten back to them yet, so they were prepared to sneak into the tent on their own.

"Psst," said a voice from the tent flap, and the flap wiggled as if someone was tapping it.

Fred, George, and Auden looked at each other before Auden stood up and went to the tent entrance to stick her head out. Only the guard was sitting there.

"I've made up my mind," he said.

"And…?" Auden asked.

"I'm going to help you."

"That's great! Thank you so much," Auden said excitedly.

The Snatcher nodded. "I'm worried about my own kids, but really, no kid should have to be tortured or attacked by Greyback."

Auden said nothing, but nodded in agreement.

"So, do you have a plan?" the guard asked.

"Yeah, all you need to do is once the guards are asleep, sneak into the tent and steal our wands back."

"You do realize I have this, right?" The guard held up his own wand.

"Yeah…" Auden said.

"Well, I know that they don't usually fall asleep until late at night. How about I charm them to fall asleep quickly at around seven. Greyback will be gone by then. Anyway, after they all fall asleep, I can get your wands easily."

"Wow," Auden said. "That makes our original plan look stupid."

The guard cracked a small smile. "So seven sounds good? Come outside so I can hand you your wands and you can get out of here."

"Perfect," Auden answered, returning to the tent to tell the others the plan.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed or added any of my stories to their favorites or story alert :) **

**The song I used for this chapter is **_**Halfway Gone**_** by Lifehouse.**


	15. Chapter 15: Radio Radio

Later that evening, Auden peeked through the crack at the tent opening and saw Greyback leaving his tent. The guard stopped him. "Are we putting up the protective charms tonight, as usual?"

"What's happening?" Fred asked, coming up behind Auden.

"Shh, Greyback's leaving," Auden whispered, as George joined them. Fred slipped his arms around Auden and held her to him as they listened to Greyback's answer.

"Hmm, how about we put up charms around my tent, but leave this tent unprotected. If I happen to stumble across them tonight, then it doesn't ultimately matter. There will be no need for you to guard them tonight. You may return to the other tent and put up the protective spells around that tent and only that tent."

Auden's heart was pounding. Even though she knew that with luck, they would be escaping tonight, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they met Greyback in the woods.

"Are you sure?" the guard was asking.

"Yes, now go!" Greyback snarled. There was silence, and Auden saw the guard walk towards the other tent and Greyback head in the opposite direction.

"It's five to seven," George said in a whisper.

"Let's go," Fred said, his eyes shining for the first time in a while. It was enough to make Auden smile.

They slid out of the tent entrance and stood there, waiting for the guard to return from charming the others to sleep. Auden couldn't help but shiver due to both the cold and the fact that the moon was rising in the sky.

Wordlessly, Fred grabbed her in a hug and rubbed his hands up and down her arms to keep her warm. George was staring at the other tent entrance with his arms crossed. A minute later, the guard tiptoed from the tent, carrying their wands.

"Here you go," he said, handing them out.

"Thank you so much," Auden said quietly, taking hers and smiling as her hand closed around the familiar item.

"We can't thank you enough," George grinned.

"Don't mention it," the guard said. "Just get out of here quickly before you get hurt. I'll go back to the tent once you're gone and put up the protective spells."

"Okay," Fred looked between Auden and George. "We're all Apparating to the Burrow, right?"

Auden and George both nodded.

"Thank you, again," Fred told the guard. "Really, for everything."

"Really, don't mention it." The corners of the guard's mouth twitched.

"Ready?" Auden asked. "One, two, three!"

They turned to Apparate, but nothing happened. Auden opened one eye to see that they were still standing in the forest, with a confused guard in front of them.

"One, two, three!" George said. They tried a second time, and a third, but nothing happened.

"Why can't we Apparate?" Fred asked the guard angrily.

"Calm down," the guard said. "I'm as much in the dark as you are."

"Do you think Greyback put a charm around the area preventing us from Apparating?" George asked.

"That must be it," the guard said, clapping a hand to his forehead. "You're going to have to walk to the end of where the charm reaches."

"Well, where's that?" Auden asked, looking around.

"That's the thing, I don't know," the guard sighed. "You're just going to have to keep walking and try to Apparate every once in a while until it works. I'm sorry, I wish there was an easier way."

"It's not your fault," Fred said. "We'll have to leave now so we can get back home as soon as we can."

"Yes, hurry," the guard said. "And good luck to all of you."

Fred, George, and Auden headed off into the trees as the guard stood at the entrance to his tent and put up the protective spells. They had only been walking for a few minutes when there was a howl in the distance. Auden immediately grabbed Fred's hand as he and George both jumped.

"Let's try Apparating again," George suggested. They tried, but it didn't work.

Fred sighed in frustration. "How far did he make this charm go?"

"Let's just hope it doesn't cover the entire forest," Auden said. "Or else it'll take us forever to get out of here."

They kept walking through the trees in silence for what had to have been another half an hour, trying to Apparate every ten minutes. They heard nothing except their footsteps and the crickets. The silence made the sudden howl sound even louder.

"Does that sound closer than before?" George asked, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.

"Yeah, but maybe it's because it's quiet out here," Fred answered feebly, tightening his grip on Auden's hand.

They had all frozen in place, listening for other noises, which made the next sound easier to hear: footsteps. They could hear footsteps growing closer and they weren't just any footsteps, but fast, animal sounding footsteps.

"Run," George hissed, but the command was unnecessary. They all took off as fast as they could, Auden and Fred still holding hands. The footsteps were gaining on them, but none of them looked back. They were afraid of what they would see if they did.

As they were running, George suddenly tripped on a root and fell to the ground. "George!" Fred yelled, turning around. Auden did the same and screamed. Greyback was quickly approaching George, who had flipped over onto his back, paralyzed with fear.

"George, move!" Auden yelled, but George didn't seem to have heard her. In the next second, Fred dropped Auden's hand and raced towards his brother. "Fred, no!" Auden screamed. She debated for a second before running after him.

"George, come on," Fred said, reaching for his brother's arm. Greyback was basically on top of them, his claws outstretched and his teeth snapping.

"Stupefy!" Auden yelled, pointing her wand at the werewolf. The spell just missed him by a fraction of an inch. His head snapped up to look at Auden and he began charging towards her. She turned and began to run.

"Auden!" Fred yelled from behind her.

She sent spell after spell over her shoulder at the werewolf, but she could still hear his fast approaching footsteps. There were other sets of footsteps as well and she figured they belonged to Fred and George.

A jet of red light soared past her. Fred and George were sending Stunning spells at Greyback and missing due to both his movement and theirs. Suddenly, Auden saw a low tree branch. With a leap, she jumped up and grabbed it, pulling herself into the tree. Her feet dangled down and she managed to pull herself into an upper branch, just as Greyback reached the tree and aimed a swipe at her feet with his claws. Now, he stood at the bottom of the tree, growling and attempting to climb it.

"Stupefy!" Fred and George both yelped, catching up to Greyback from behind. The double spell hit Greyback and he fell to the ground.

Auden jumped down from the tree and ran into Fred's arms. She was shaking voilently with fear. Fredput one hand at the back of her head and the other on her back as he cradled her to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah, I'm okay, my heart is still pounding, though."

"Mine too," Fred whispered.

"I know, I can hear it," she said, giving a weak laugh. She let go of Fred and turned to George. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He glanced at the unconscious Greyback lying a few feet away. Auden and Fred turned to look as well.

"Let's just get out of here," Auden whispered, "before he wakes up."

"Should we try to Apparate again?" George asked.

Fred and Auden nodded in agreement. George counted to three and they turned on the spot. Auden felt herself filling with joy when she realized it was working. She had never been so excited to feel that squished Apparating feeling before.

With a pop, the three of them appeared outside the Burrow, just a few feet from the back door. The light was on in the kitchen, and Auden's parents were sitting at the table with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They were all drinking tea and looking extremely stressed and upset.

"We're home," Fred sighed, flopping backwards into a snow bank that hadn't yet melted from the last snow fall.

George flopped to the ground on his stomach and pressed his cheek to the cool grass. "I've never been so happy to see this place before."

Auden giggled as Fred pulled her into the snow bank with him and kissed her nose. In return, she grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it on his face.

Fred inhaled sharply at the feel of the cold snow before grabbing a handful of his own and throwing it at Auden, who giggled again.

"I think the time has come for us to go inside and relieve our parents of their misery," George said, standing up.

They crowded around the back door and Fred knocked. They heard chairs scraping back and Mrs. Weasley's voice from behind the door. "Who is it?"

"Mum, it's us, Fred, George, and Auden."

They heard a joyous scream from Mrs. Weasley and Auden's mother, but then they heard Mr. Weasley's voice. "Wait just a minute, Molly, we have to ask them security questions."

"Oh for heaven's sake, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said. "They're home!"

"We don't know it's really them, Molly!"

"Oh, fine," Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Go ahead, ask them."

"Fred," Mr. Weasley called, "what kind of stuffed animal did you have as a child and what was his name?"

"Dad," groaned Fred.

"Answer the question, Fred."

Auden giggled behind her hand. She knew the answer, of course.

"Fine, I had a stuffed duck and his name was Quack. Happy?"

"Not until I question George and Auden. George," Mr. Weasley said. "What was the only thing you ate for lunch when you were young. You wouldn't eat anything else besides this."

"Peanut butter and jelly," George answered immediately.

Auden's dad spoke up next. "Auden?"

"Yeah, dad?" Auden asked.

"How did you get the scar above your eye?"

Auden smirked at Fred. "Ron accidentally pushed me into the side of the fireplace when Fred and George teased him with a spider."

There was a small scuffling behind the door before it was flung open to reveal four thrilled parents.

Mrs. Weasley immediately grabbed each twin by one of their arms and pulled them inside while Auden's parents almost dragged her inside and smothered her to death.

"We've been so worried!" Auden's dad said. "Lee and Katie came back and told us what happened. We've had search parties out ever since, but we weren't able to find you."

"We'll have to call those serach parties off, now," Mrs. Weasley said joyfully.

"We were beginning to think the worst," Auden's mother said, hugging her daughter tightly.

"Sit, all three of you," Mrs. Weasley said. She ushered them into chairs at the table before busying herself at the stove. "What would you like to eat?"

"Mum, it's late, don't bother yourself with cooking," George said.

"You all look famished. Thinner than twigs, in fact. You need food. Now, what would you like?"

"Whatever's easy for you," Fred said and Auden agreed.

"I have a little bit of leftover soup from dinner. Would you like that? It's still nice and warm."

"Sounds great, Mum," Fred grinned.

"Now, what exactly happened?" Auden's mother asked as Mrs. Weasley began to reheat the soup on the stove.

"What did Lee and Katie tell you exactly?" George asked, tracing his finger in circles on the table.

"They came back with Katie in tears," Mr. Weasley said, "and they told us that you ran into Snatchers in the woods and they took you so that they could torture you. Is that true?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah, they didn't have a real reason to take us. We're already being tracked, which actually helped us in a way because it would be a waste of time for them to turn us in, but Greyback-,"

"Greyback?" Auden's mother squeaked. Mrs. Weasley whipped around to stare at them.

This time, Auden spoke. "Yeah, he was the leader. He didn't bite any of us though. We're fine. All he did was torture us a little bit."

"How did you escape?" Mr. Weasley asked, as Mrs. Weasley placed bowls of soup in front of them.

Taking turns and between spoonfuls of soup, Fred, George, and Auden told the story of what had happened to them and how they had managed to escape. They hesitantly included running away from Greyback.

Both sets of parents were pale by the time they finished. "Thank goodness that guard helped you," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Are you sure your injuries are all cleared up?" Auden's dad asked, examining Auden's face.

"Positive," Auden said, not wanting to mention the scar left on her shoulder. "Fred and George were great at taking care of me."

"You were great at taking care of us," Fred said, taking her hand.

"Why do you still have bandages?" Mrs. Weasley asked, peering at Fred's leg.

"Oh, those," Fred shrugged. "They were just there so Greyback wouldn't ask questions. We'll get rid of them later."

Mrs. Weasley smiled a small smile. "Why don't you two go get cleaned up and get into bed? I expect you're exhausted."

"Yeah, actually," Fred said with a yawn. "I never thought I'd miss my own bed so much."

"I want to see Katie," George said, crossing his arms.

"I'm sure she's asleep. You can see her tomorrow," Mrs. Weasley ordered.

"But-"

"Tomorrow," Mrs. Weasley said, giving George a stern look as she crossed her arms. "You need to rest first."

"Come on dear," Auden's dad said, standing up. "Let's get you home and into bed."

Auden quickly kissed Fred before turning to follow her parents back to their house. "Where's Ben?" she asked.

"He's part of the search party out looking for you. We're going to send a Patronus right now to let them know you're safe," Mrs. Parker said.

Auden nodded and started up the stairs. She suddenly felt incredibly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up in her own warm bed.

"Honey, you are okay, aren't you?" her mother asked, looking up at her from the bottom of the stairs. She was chewing on her bottom lip with worry.

"Yeah, really, I am, just still shaken up from everything. I'm glad to be home, though." Auden turned and gave her mother a reassuring smile.

"I'll bet," her mother answered, breaking out into a grin.

Auden continued up the stairs to the bathroom, where she took a much needed shower. Then, she curled up on her bed in her pajamas. Ben had left Froggy, her old stuffed animal in her room from when he had found it in the attic and she picked him up now and buried her nose in his soft green material.

"You're back!" boomed Ben's voice as he flung open her bedroom door.

"Ben, she could be—oh, you're still awake," Auden's dad said, appearing behind Ben.

"Of course she is. She couldn't wait to see me, that's why," Ben dove onto the bed and hugged Auden. She giggled and hugged him back as her dad smiled and left the room.

"Mum and Dad told me what happened," Ben said seriously, pulling away from her.

Auden's grin slid off her face. "Did they?"

Ben nodded. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too," Auden said, smiling. "But I'm afraid to go to sleep."

"Why?" Ben asked.

"I'm afraid I'll have nightmares. I mean, at first, nothing was too traumatizing, but the scariest thing was seeing Greyback chase after us as a werewolf. He was so much worse than Lupin. I was so scared he was going to get one of us."

"Want me to stay in here with you?" Ben asked. "Unless, of course, you want Fred." He pretended to look hurt.

Auden laughed. "No, he needs to sleep. You can sleep too. You must be tired from being in the search party."

"Are you sure?" Ben asked.

"Positive," Auden answered.

"If you need me, come get me," Ben told her, backing out of the room.

"Will do," Auden smiled, sliding under the covers and pulling Froggy close to her.

That night, just like she thought, her dreams were full of Greyback and werewolves, and although none of them woke her up, she was glad when she did wake up to the bright winter sun shining through her window the next morning.

Over breakfast, Auden's parents told her that they would prefer if she wasn't involved with Potterwatch anymore. "Molly's telling Fred and George the same," her dad said.

"But dad, we have to!" Auden protested. "We're reporting the news on Harry and You-Know-Who."

"You were away from civilization for a month. What kind of news would you know?"

"We were captured by a bunch of people working for You-Know-Who!" Auden exclaimed.

"No, it's not safe being out in the woods doing that," her mother said. "How do you know the Snatchers won't find you again?"

"What if we do it at home?" Auden asked.

"You can't," her father said. "That might be even more unsafe. If the Death Eater's ever check up on us…"

Auden sighed in frustration and leaned back in her chair. She could understand where her parents were coming from and why they were worried, but she felt that Potterwatch had been so important and helpful for everyone and now they were expected to stop just like that.

* * *

"So your parents told you?" Fred asked when Auden met up with him later in the Weasley's living room. It was quiet, besides Mrs. Weasley moving around the kitchen. Percy and Mr. Weasley were working, Ginny had gone back to Hogwarts weeks ago at the end of Christmas break, and George had gone to check out the shop. He hadn't gone there to work, but to see if it was still intact and to make sure that Verity had been managing alright.

"Yeah," Auden mumbled, snuggling against his chest.

"Hey, don't look so dejected," Fred said, lifting her chin with his finger.

"Why shouldn't I? Our parents have made it a new rule that we can't do Potterwatch anymore."

Fred's lips turned up into that gorgeous grin of his. "Yeah, but you're forgetting who you're talking to."

"Oh, that's right." Auden tilted her head and grinned. "You never really took a liking to rules."

Fred's grin widened and he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. They had rarely kissed while they were being held hostage. Auden wasn't sure why; it probably had to do with the mood. Things had been far from romantic for a while.

Auden slid her arms around Fred's neck and leaned back into the arm of the couch. When they finally stopped kissing, Fred bumped his nose against hers and grinned. "I've missed doing that."

"Me too," Auden whispered, her arms still wound around his neck.

"You doing okay?" Fred asked her, moving the collar of her shirt aside slightly so that he could see the edge of her newest scar.

"I'm perfectly fine." She half smiled before it faded slightly and she chewed on her lip. She was debating whether or not to tell him about the nightmares.

"What is it?" Fred asked, looking at her seriously.

"Nothing...I just had a few bad dreams last night. I swear they weren't terrible, but they were still a bit frightening."

Fred stared down at her for a moment before lightly kissing her forehead. "You, George and I should have stayed together for one more night," he said. "I wish your parents hadn't brought you home."

"No, it's okay," Auden assured him. "Like I said, I'll be fine. We're home now and it was just a few bad dreams. Ben offered to stay with me in my room, too, but I told him not to. Besides, I think it's best if we try to go about life as we normally would. It'll help."

Fred sighed and nodded before giving her a gentle kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered, wrapping her arms even tighter around him as she buried her head in his chest.

* * *

One night, towards the very end of March, Fred and George took Auden over to their flat, where they were meeting Katie and Lee. They were having a secret meeting to host another episode of Potterwatch. They didn't have to worry about getting caught, because their parents, thinking that they weren't hosting any more shows, wouldn't listen.

Sirius, though, had overhead them discussing it and had asked if he, Lupin, and Kingsley, could join them. Fred had told them they could, as long as they didn't tell their parents. Kingsley disagreed at first, but gave in after some persuading.

Ginny was home for Easer holidays and had been thrilled to see Auden and the twins. Other news that they had been informed of was that Tonks was pregnant. She was due any time in the next few weeks. Auden had squealed with joy at the news.

"Are we ready?" Lee asked, glancing around at the group. His magical radio was nearly full, with eight microphones.

"Let's do it," George said, from his position on the couch next to Katie. Katie had been ecstatic to see George once they had returned. She had flung herself into his arms with such a force that Auden was surprised he didn't fall over.

"Okay," Lee turned on the radio. "Good evening, viewers. This is River speaking and I apologize for our temporary absence from the airwaves, which was due to some complications involving Snatchers. For now, we've found ourselves another location and I'm pleased to tell you that we have three guest speakers here this evening. Hello, boys."

"Hello, River," Sirius, Kingsley, and Lupin said at once.

"We also have our returning contributors, Rapier, Red, Ruby, and Rose with us tonight. Rose, would you like to take it from here?"

"Yes, thank you, River," Katie said. "Hello everyone, this is Rose speaking and before we hear from Royal, Romulus, and Ripper, we'd like to take a moment to report those deaths that the _Wizarding Wireless Network News _and _Daily Prophet_ don't think important enough to mention. It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell."

"A goblin by the name of Gornuk was also killed," George added. "This is Red speaking and it is believed that Muggle-born Dean Thomas and a second goblin, both believed to have been traveling with Tonks, Cresswell, and Gornuk, may have escaped. If Dean is listening, or if anyone has any knowledge of his whereabouts, his parents and sisters are desperate for news."

Auden chewed on her lip. She had just heard about Dean and hoped he was alright. "Meanwhile," she said into her microphone, "in Gaddley, a Muggle family of five has been found dead in their home. Muggle authorities are attributing the deaths to a gas leak, but members of the Order of the Phoenix inform us that it was the Killing Curse - more evidence, as if it were needed, of the fact that Muggle slaughter is becoming little more than a recreational sport under the new regime."

"Finally," Lee said, "we regret to inform our listeners that the remains of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric's Hollow. The evidence is that she died several months ago. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body showed unmistakable signs of injuries inflicted by Dark Magic."

They then had a moment of silence for all of the recent deaths that had been discovered. After a minute, Lee interviewed Kingsley about how Muggles were being affected by wizarding law. Kingsley concluded by saying, "We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving."

Next, George interviewed Sirius and Lupin about Harry. "Romulus, do you maintain, as you have every time you've appeared on our program, that Harry Potter is still alive?"

"I do," Lupin said firmly. "He remains a symbol of the triumph of good, the need to keep resisting."

"Ripper," George said, addressing Sirius, "what would you say to Harry if you knew he was listening?"

"I'd tell him we're all with him in spirit," Sirius said quietly. "And I'd tell him to follow his instincts, which are good and nearly always right."

"Now," Lee said, "I'd like to hand things over to Rodent—,"

"Rapier!" Fred exclaimed.

"Oh, right, sorry, Rapier. Could you please give us your take on the various stories we've heard about the Chief Death Eater?"

"Yes, River, I can," Fred said. "As our listeners will know, unless they've taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond or somewhere similar, You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice little climate of panic. Mind you, if all the alleged sightings of him are genuine, we must have a good nineteen You-Know-Who's running around the place."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Auden had to lower her microphone and cover her mouth to stifle a giggle. Sirius was also holding back a laugh from across the circle.

"That suits him, of course," Kingsley added. "The air of mystery is creating more terror than actually showing himself."

"Agreed," Fred nodded. "So, people, let's try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That's a _basilisk_, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it's safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you ever do."

That sent Auden into a fit of giggles. She buried her head in her hands as she shook with silent laughter. Next to her, Fred smirked but was able to contain himself.

"And the rumors that he keeps being sighted abroad?" asked Lee, cracking a smile.

"Well, who wouldn't want a nice little holiday after all the hard work he's been putting in?" Fred asked. "Point is, people, don't get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking he's out of the country. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but the fact remains that he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to, so don't count on him being a long way away if you're planning on taking any risks. I never thought I'd hear myself say it, but safety first!"

"Thank you for those wise words," Lee grinned, as Auden continued to laugh into her arm. Sirius was actually rolling on the floor in fits of laughter.

"Listeners," Katie took over, "that brings us to the end of another Potterwatch. We don't know when it will be possible to broadcast again, but you can be sure we'll be back. The next password will be 'Mad-Eye.' Good night."

Auden sighed as she leaned back against the leg of the chair behind her. "That was successful," she said.

"It sure was," Lee grinned. "But I should get going." He stood up and grabbed his radio.

"To see Angelina?" Katie asked, smirking.

"Maybe, maybe not," Lee smirked back.

Not long after Lee's departure, Katie left as well, kissing George gently. She waved to the others before Disapparating.

Moments later, another crack sounded in the flat. It was Mr. Weasley, looking pale. "Everybody let's go, stand up. Auden, your parents packed your things already."

"Arthur, what's happened? You aren't making sense," Sirius said, looking alarmed.

"Death Eaters have caught Harry and know that Ron's with him. They're most likely going to target our families now."

"What?" gasped Auden.

"Come on," Mr. Weasley urged. "We all have to move to Muriel's. Our houses and the flat aren't safe anymore. Everyone else is already over there, and Ginny's not going back to school. George, grab my arm and we'll go together. Fred, go with Auden."

"I better get home and talk to Tonks," Lupin said, as he and Sirius disappeared.

Auden shared a look of panic with Fred before grabbing his arm. He turned on the spot and reappeared inside Muriel's house.

* * *

**A/N: I managed to do a double update today because the website has been having problems and I couldn't upload my last chapter yesterday so I was able to finish this chapter. **

**The song I used for this chapter is **_**Radio Radio**_** by Brooke White.**


	16. Chapter 16: Look At This Photograph

Muriel's house had plenty of room for both Auden's family and the Weasleys. Auden had never been there before, but she knew that Muriel had a lot of money. When they arrived in the large Victorian house seconds later, Auden's mouth dropped open.

"I know, a bit overwhelming at first," Fred said, noticing Auden's face. "Seems a bit unfair that one woman has this whole house to herself while we have to fit nine of us in the Burrow."

"Come on, let's get not all stand in the doorway," Mr. Weasley said, appearing with George behind them and ushering them further into the foyer.

"Ah, Arthur, there you are," Muriel wheezed, shuffling around the corner. "Everyone else just got here. They're in the dining room."

"Dad, can you just explain what's going on?" George asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes, I'd like to know as well," Muriel added. "You were extremely vague in your letter, and I must say that your handwriting is nearly illegible."

Mr. Weasley sighed wearily. "Yes, well, let's go into the dining room with the others and we'll all talk about this."

Muriel led the way down a hallway to the left. Auden looked from left to right as they walked. The hallway was lined with old framed pictures of Muriel and her husband, obviously before he had died. There was one picture at the end of the hallway of the entire Weasley family in front of the Burrow.

"I never thought of Muriel as the picture type," Auden whispered to Fred.

"Yeah, she can be a royal pain, but she's not all bad. Deep down she's pretty sentimental. Mind you, it's probably really deep down under all that criticism, but it's there," Fred smirked.

They had reached the dining room where Auden's parents, Ben, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were seated around the large table.

"Oh, good, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad you got here alright."

Mr. Weasley pulled out the chair at the head of the table, but Muriel stopped him. "That's my seat. It's closer to the door. I am a hundred and eight, you know."

"Er, yes, I was pulling it out for you," Mr. Weasley's ears grew red as he gestured for the old lady to sit down.

Muriel snorted and shook her head as she plopped down into the chair. Auden sat down next to Fred, but she also wound up on the corner nearest to Muriel. "Have you cut that hair yet?" she asked, peering over her glasses.

"Yeah, I actually trimmed it last week," Auden said, picking up a strand of her hair and examining it.

"It's still too long," Muriel sniffed. "I was saying the same to Genevra earlier. I don't know what it is with young woman these days. And even you two," she gestured to the twins and shook her head. "Your hair is much too long for my liking."

Auden made eye contact with Ginny who crossed her eyes and shook her head.

"Muriel, we're here to discuss the reason why we came. I thought you were so eager to know," Mr. Weasley said, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, I am," Muriel leaned back in her chair and made herself comfortable. "Let's hear it, then."

Mr. Weasley glanced at his wife before looking at Muriel, Fred, George, and Auden. "Harry, Ron, and Hermione were found."

"Yeah, you said that," Fred said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "How?"

"Harry said You-Know-Who's name," Mr. Weasley responded, folding his hands on the table. He was surprisingly calm. Maybe the initial shock had worn off. "You obviously know about that taboo, and-,"

"So they were caught by Snatchers?" Auden asked, looking at the ceiling.

"Yes, and they were brought to Malfoy Manor. The Snatchers that caught them were the same ones that caught you," Auden's dad added.

"So, what happened to them? How did you find out they were caught?" George asked.

"Are they safe?" Auden asked.

Mr. Weasley held up his hands. "Let me finish explaining. They managed to escape the Malfoy's house. Dean Thomas, Luna, Ollivander, and a goblin named Griphook were there as well and they all escaped. They're at Bill and Fleur's now. Bill contacted me immediately, knowing that the Death Eaters would come to our house to investigate."

"Will they come looking for you?" Muriel asked. "When they realize you aren't home, I mean."

"It's possible," Mr. Weasley answered, nodding. "But they don't know exactly where we'll be. I put a Fidelius Charm around this house when we got here and I'm Secret Keeper."

"You didn't mention that in your letter!" Muriel huffed.

"There wasn't time and what if the letter was intercepted?" Mr. Weasley sighed.

"So what about the others?" Fred asked. "Are they alright?"

"Yes, they're fine." It was Mrs. Weasley who answered this time. "Apparently Hermione was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, but we don't know the details."

"How did they escape?" Auden asked.

"A house elf named Dobby came to rescue them. We don't know how he knew they were there or why he came, but he got them out," Mr. Weasley said. "Bill told me that unfortunately, the elf was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. She threw a knife at him, but anyway, Harry buried him by hand."

Fred let out a puff of air and leaned back in his seat. Everyone looked at him questioningly. "It's just that," he began, "Bellatrix Lestrange has caused more trouble for us and our friends. I mean, she tortured Neville's parents, tortured Hermione, killed Dobby, and almost killed Auden."

"The scumbag," Muriel said with a frown.

"I couldn't agree more," Mr. Weasley said, a faint smile appearing on his face for the first time since he had appeared at Fred and George's flat.

After everyone had been filled in on the news, Muriel showed her guests to their rooms. She had a total of six bedrooms within her three story house. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were shown to a bedroom on the second floor, and Auden's parents were given the one next to it. Ben was across the hall, and Fred and George were sharing a room a few doors down. Auden and Ginny were sharing a room on the third floor, the same floor as Muriel's room.

"She sleeps like a log, but snores like a troll, believe it or not," Ginny said, flopping onto one of the beds in their room.

"Good thing we're all the way down the hall, then," Auden answered, sticking her head out the door and watching Muriel disappear into her own room.

"Big place, isn't it?" Ginny said. "I used to go exploring when I was younger."

"Find anything interesting?" Auden asked with a smile, closing the door and sitting on her own bed.

"The attic was pretty interesting, and there's a library too, around the corner."

"Really?" Auden asked, her eyebrows rising in interest.

"Yeah, but there's nothing interesting to read in there," Ginny wrinkled her nose and waved her hand dismissively.

"What's in the attic that was so interesting?"

"Old stuff," Ginny answered, rolling onto her stomach and resting her chin on one of her hands.

"Like…?" Auden prodded.

"Clothes Muriel wore when she was younger, old toys that belonged to her kids, a cracked mirror that used to be in her bedroom. That's just what I can remember at least."

"So, if Muriel is a hundred and eight, that means that she was born in 1890," Auden said, staring at the ceiling in thought.

"Yeah, so?" Ginny asked.

"So that means the clothes up there must be from the late 1800s and early 1900s."

"Yeah, I think her wedding dress is even up there, but I can't remember," Ginny answered.

A grin slowly lifted Auden's lips and she looked at Ginny in excitement.

"I know that look," Ginny said.

"Can we?" Auden asked.

Ginny stood up and grabbed her wand. "Let's go," she smirked.

The two girls walked in silence down the hallway and around a corner until Ginny stopped and pulled open a door on their right to reveal a curved, wooden staircase.

"You first," Auden said, peering up the stairs.

"Scared?" Ginny asked, grinning and raising her foot to go up the stairs.

"Of course not," Auden scoffed.

The stairs creaked as the girls made their way into the attic. Ginny swung her wand around the room slowly, so it landed on everything, one thing at a time.

Auden sneezed suddenly, breaking the silence.

Ginny set her wand down on a nearby table, aiming the light at a large wardrobe. "The dresses are probably in here."

Auden followed Ginny, stepping over old objects in the cluttered attic. Ginny whipped open the wardrobe doors to reveal around five or six dresses from the early 1900s.

"I think this is the wedding dress," Ginny whispered, running her hand along a white, lacy dress with elbow length sleeves.

"Put it on," Auden advised, smirking at her friend.

"Put it on?" Ginny repeated, sending Auden an amused look.

"Or put on one of these," Auden answered, gesturing to the other dresses in the wardrobe. "I'll wear this one." She pulled out a red dress with dull gold trim and a slit on the bottom front revealing white fabric underneath.

"Seriously?" Ginny asked.

"Seriously," Auden answered.

Ginny ran her hand over the wedding dress again, before breaking into a grin, snatching it from the hanger and slipping it on.

Auden looked up from putting on her own dress and smiled. She pretended to wipe happy tears from her eyes. "Look at that, all grown up."

"Oh, please," Ginny scoffed. She paused for a moment. "I wouldn't wear this on my wedding day. I'm sure it was lovely at the time, but now it's so outdated."

Auden laughed. "And this isn't?" She gestured the dress she was wearing before reaching to the bottom of the wardrobe. "Here, catch,"

Ginny caught what Auden had tossed her. "Matching shoes," she laughed, slipping them on her feet.

Auden pulled on her own pair of clunky high heels and even located a huge hat with a feather. She put it on her head and pranced around the attic, nearly tripping a few times due to the long dress and the clutter of the attic.

Ginny giggled and pretended to walk down an imaginary aisle. "Too bad I don't have a bouquet," she giggled.

"This can be your bouquet," Auden said, picking up a bunch of old quills and charming them to stay together with her wand so that they resembled a bouquet.

"Original," Ginny smirked, taking it and looking in the old, cracked mirror that she had told Auden about.

Auden began wandering around the attic, still wearing the high heels. She found an old broom and a teddy bear sitting on top of a box. Out of curiosity, she sat down in a dusty rocking chair and slid the box from under the bear.

"What's that?" Ginny asked, picking up her still lit wand and coming over.

"It looks like a bunch of old schoolwork from when Muriel was at Hogwarts," Auden said with a giggle.

"Move over," Ginny said energetically. Auden slid over as much as she could in the chair and Ginny squeezed herself next to her. "Look at this, her OWL grades!"

"Not bad," Auden said, examining the paper. "Eight out of nine OWL's."

"Only failed History of Magic," Ginny said. "I wonder if Professor Binns was teaching then."

"Most likely," Auden snorted. While Ginny continued to look through the school papers, Auden reached into another box and pulled out the first thing she felt. It was a huge photo album with a space in the cover for a photo, but it was empty. She rubbed the dust from the front. Ginny sneezed. Auden smirked and glanced at her. "It's dusty in here, isn't it?"

"I didn't sneeze. I thought it was you," Ginny said, her voice shaking slightly. They both looked around the room.

"It was me," said a voice. "I sneezed."

Auden looked down and let out a squeak. The space in the album had developed eyes and a mouth and it was _talking._

"Put it away," Ginny ordered, her eyes wide. Auden knew, she was remembering Tom Riddle's diary. "It's thinking for itself, it could be evil."

"Oh, please," the album's eyes rolled. "I've been in this attic for years, ever since Muriel forgot all about me."

"I don't understand how this works," Auden whispered.

"All you have to do is tell me what memory you want to see and when you open me, you'll get to see snapshots from that memory."

"From a camera?" Ginny asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"No, it works much like a Pensieve," the book said. "Muriel can pick and choose what memories and specific parts of memories to put in here. The only difference is that she can't revisit them. The memories are saved as snapshots. They still move like regular wizard pictures, but she can't go inside them, only look."

"Wow," Auden whispered. "Can you show us one?"

"Of course," the book said. "What would you like to see?"

Auden and Ginny looked at each other, but Ginny answered. "Muriel's first day of Hogwarts."

"Okay, got it," the book said. Auden flipped it open and pictures were spread across the two pages of the book. A young girl that had to be Muriel was in every single one, looking laid back and happy, rather unlike the current Muriel.

"Why can we see Muriel in the pictures if they're her memories?" Ginny asked.

"Because when the memories are put in," the book answered, muffled from having the mouth pressed against Ginny's leg, "it becomes almost like an out of body experience for the owner so that they can see themselves in the memory."

Auden closed the book again and she and Ginny requested to see more and more memories, including Muriel's wedding day, looking stunning in the dress now worn by Ginny. They also discovered that Muriel had included baby pictures of her children and grandchildren. The most recent memories were of her grandchildren's wedding day.

"We should bring this to Muriel tomorrow," Auden said, closing the book. "Maybe she could put in more memories, like Bill and Fleur's wedding."

Ginny laughed and took the album from Auden as the face disappeared. She stuck it back in the box. "Muriel probably doesn't remember half of the wedding. She's old, and come to think of it, she was drinking a little too much champagne. Plus, as you know, she isn't particularly close to our family."

"She took us in now, didn't she?" Auden asked.

"Family is family, regardless of how close you are, I suppose," Ginny shrugged. "Although, mum suspects Muriel wrote Fred and George out of her will because of that one Christmas when they set a dung bomb off under her chair."

"I remember they told me about that," Auden laughed, standing up. "They told me they tried to blame it on the dog."

Ginny laughed, too. "We never even owned a dog, but they thought that Muriel wouldn't know the difference, being so old."

Auden laughed and took one last look at herself in the cracked mirror as she yawned. "I guess we should get back to our room now."

Ginny agreed and set her lit wand down again. Just as they were about to change, there was a creak from the stairs. "What was that?" Ginny asked, grabbing her wand and pointing it towards the door.

Auden did the same, but they lowered their wands after a minute of silence. They agreed that it had probably been the old house making noises, but then the sound came again, and then the attic door swung open further, but nobody was there.

Both girls raised their wands again instantly and backed up against the wardrobe. Auden took one of the shoes off her foot and held it above her head, ready to throw.

"Someone's there, I can hear breathing," Ginny said.

"No you don't," Auden whispered, nervously, trying to assure herself that there was nobody breathing in that attic besides her and Ginny. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened one and peeked at the door.

"Who's there?" Ginny asked.

There was silence for another minute before two figures jumped in front of the doorway, yelling "Boo!"

Ginny jumped about a mile, while Auden screamed and threw the shoe that was in her hand.

"Ouch, Aud," said one of the figures. "That hurt!"

"That was very good aim, though," said the other figure.

Auden held up her wand. Fred and George were standing in the attic doorway, and Fred was rubbing his shoulder, despite the grin on his face.

"You two," Ginny said furiously, "almost gave us heart failure."

"Look who's talking," George mumbled. "Standing in the dark wearing such hideous clothes."

"They were your great aunt Muriel's," Auden informed them, as if that made the clothes less ancient.

"That explains so much," Fred laughed, shaking his head. Then he smirked. "Although, Aud, you do pull it off. You look good."

"Shut up, Fred," Auden snorted as Ginny stomped around behind the wardrobe to get changed. Auden followed her a second later as Fred and George looked around the attic. "What were you two doing up here anyway?" Fred called from across the room where he was examining the old broom.

"We wanted to explore it," Auden said, stepping out from behind the wardrobe, the dress folded over her arm.

"Looks like you found some interesting things," Fred smirked.

"We found an old photo album that can talk," Ginny said before elaborating and telling the twins all about the album.

"Wicked," George said. "Anything else?"

"Muriel's OWL results," Auden smirked.

"Excellent," Fred said with a laugh. "How many OWLs?"

"Eight," Auden answered. "Out of nine."

"That's too bad. I was hoping we could use the scores as blackmail," Fred shook his head.

"You wouldn't." Ginny narrowed her eyes.

Fred and George just shrugged. Auden and Ginny hung up the dresses and the four of them went back downstairs.

"How did you know we were up in the attic anyway?" Auden asked.

"Well, we were going to come to your room—," Fred began.

"For a friendly visit-," continued George.

"But then when we got here-,"

"We heard clunking coming from up in the attic-,"

"And your room was empty," Fred finished. "So we put two and two together."

"Genius of you," Auden grinned, stepping towards Fred.

"Oh my, look at this, Ginny," George said, pointing to the door frame. "There is a chip in the paint."

"Oh, I see it," Ginny said, examining the paint as well.

"You don't have to examine the wall," Auden said, glancing over her shoulder.

"Well, see," George said, "here's how it is, plain and simple. Watching people kiss is awkward."

"I know that, I've been around when you and Katie kiss," Auden answered, smirking.

"She got you, Georgie," Fred said, slipping his arms around Auden's waist.

George grinned. "I promise I won't get offended if you examine the wall the next time Katie and I are together."

"Fair enough," Auden said, turning back to Fred, as George and Ginny began to discuss what the shape of the paint chip looked like. "I'm sorry I threw the shoe at you," she whispered to Fred.

"It did hurt," Fred said seriously, but he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching.

"Am I forgiven?" Auden asked.

Fred pretended to think. "I think forgiveness can be arranged."

"Good, I'm glad," Auden wound her arms around Fred's neck and kissed him gently.

"George and Ginny are staring," Fred whispered, his lips right next to her ear. "I think George is getting impatient to get to bed."

"I thought they found watching others kiss awkward," Auden whispered back.

"I guess we're just that cute, they can't help but stare." Fred kissed her cheek before pulling away.

"Ready to go, Romeo?" George asked, pushing off from the wall.

"I am, Your Holy-ness," Fred answered, bowing.

"Good, because the King is ready to leave." George smirked, stuck his nose in the air and marched towards the stairs.

"Yeah, the King of Swiss Cheese," Fred mumbled, following his twin.

"Goodnight you two," Ginny yelled as Auden giggled.

"Goodnight," the twins muttered as their vibrant red hair disappeared down the stairs.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used for this chapter is **_**Photograph **_**by Nickelback. I also have no idea if Muriel had any kids or grandchildren, but I decided that she did, just for the sake of the chapter.**


	17. Chapter 17: You Have Changed Everything

Auden woke up the next morning and got ready to go down to breakfast. Ginny was still sleeping, buried under a mound of blankets. Auden decided not to wake her just yet, so she slipped out of the room in silence. When she reached the dining room, the only people sitting there were her mother and Mrs. Weasley.

"Where is everyone?" Auden asked, sitting down and grabbing an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table.

"Muriel went to show your dad and Arthur the garden. Apparently she's had some new roses planted," Mrs. Weasley answered, stirring her tea.

"You didn't want to see them?" Auden asked.

"We'll go later," Auden's mother answered with a smile, brushing lint from Auden's sleeve.

"Anyway, I'm guessing Ginny is still sleeping, seeing as she's not with you," Mrs. Weasley said as Auden nodded. "Ben's in the library, and Fred and George were here earlier, but then they disappeared again. I thought they went to see you, dear."

"No, I just woke up," Auden answered, frowning slightly.

"Oh, well, they're somewhere in the house, although there's certainly a lot of places they might be," Mrs. Weasley shrugged.

Auden left the dining room to look for the twins. They weren't in the kitchen or the living room. They weren't in their bedroom either. Auden even checked the attic and with Ben in the library and they weren't in there either.

It was on her search of the house that Auden realized just how big Muriel's place really was. It was three floors of doors and hallways. Auden turned down a hallway near the library, getting frustrated. She had walked around this area about five times.

Just then, she heard whispered voices that definitely belonged to the twins. Auden froze and turned towards the sound. There were two doors. One of them she was sure led to a bathroom, and the other, she thought was a closet. She was confused to say the least.

She decided to pick a door and knock. She picked the closet first, and knocked loudly. "Fred, George? It's me, Auden."

The door opened, and Auden peered inside to see that it wasn't a closet at all, but another bedroom.

"Hey, Aud," George said, pushing the door open wider and stepping away so that she could come in.

"I thought this was a closet," Auden said, walking inside and looking around.

"Yeah, that's what Muriel said, but it's another bedroom. She's losing it," Fred said from the floor where he was surrounded by papers and boxes.

"She is a hundred and eight, you know." George imitated Muriel's wheezy voice.

"What's all this stuff?" Auden asked, sitting on the floor next to Fred and looking into the box nearest her.

"Products," Fred shrugged. "We're doing an Owl-Order business since we can't actually go to work."

"How did you get all of these products here?" Auden asked.

"Verity sent them," George said, laying down on his stomach across from Fred and Auden and sticking his feet in the air.

"She's managing the shop while we're gone and we're doing the Owl-Order," Fred added. "She's incredible, honestly. She took care of everything when we were captured by Greyback and she's managing everything now."

"Does Muriel know that you're doing this up here?" Auden asked.

"Not yet," Fred said with a wink.

"But-,"

"Hey," Fred whispered, touching her cheek lightly. "Relax, we know what we're doing. We're not going to hide this from Muriel, but we aren't going to rub it in her face either."

Auden stared back at him for a few seconds. "Okay," she finally answered.

"Now that we've gotten that settled," Fred happily clapped his hands together, "let's get back to business, shall we? Auden, can you send this off with Lenny?" He handed her a small package.

"Who's Lenny?" Auden asked in confusion.

Fred gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. "The one in the middle."

Auden turned around and saw three owls lined up on the dresser. "If Muriel or your mum find any owl droppings in here, they'll lose it." She tied the package onto Lenny's leg.

"They aren't going to find any," George said, not looking up from the papers he was sifting through. "We fully realize that cleaning it up is part of the job."

"Impressive, you two cleaning," Auden smirked, leaning against the dresser and petting one of the two owls left standing there.

Fred snorted and twirled his wand in the air. "Using these, of course."

Auden rolled her eyes behind his back, but then sank to her knees behind him and slid her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Are you trying to distract me?" Fred asked, pausing in the middle of tying another package.

"Only if it's working," Auden answered, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"It is," Fred said, his voice coming out in a whisper.

"Oi, it's not break time yet," George scolded with a grin.

"Says who?" Fred asked, turning his head and kissing Auden softly. Auden kissed him back, moving her fingertips to his cheek and trailing them downwards.

"It's still not break time," George interrupted with a chuckle, tapping his watch.

"George," Auden groaned, pulling away from Fred. "You're such a downer."

"That's me," George answered in a sing-song voice, returning to his paperwork with a grin.

Auden giggled and settled for giving Fred a kiss on the cheek before sitting back on her knees. She crawled around to sit at Fred's side and began helping him wrap packages for each person's order. The three of them spent most of the day in the spare bedroom, sending and receiving orders by owl. It was actually a long day, but Auden didn't mind helping the twins out. She just enjoyed being with them.

"It's probably almost dinnertime," Fred finally announced, running a hand through his hair. His stomach rumbled and Auden smiled. The three of them had worked right through lunch. She hadn't even noticed, she had been so busy and actually enjoying herself.

"Mum will be looking for us," George added, packing up a few items into a box. "I'm actually surprised she hasn't come looking already. We've been up here all day."

"I thought you weren't trying to hide this from her," Auden raised an eyebrow.

"We aren't," Fred answered, standing up. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up as well. "But dinnertime means our work is done for today. We're just packing up."

"But you don't always close the shop at dinnertime, do you?" Auden argued.

"You sure are asking a lot of questions," Fred answered, pulling her towards him gently.

"I'm sorry," Auden pouted with a giggle.

"If you must know, we have shortened hours while we're here. And before you ask why, it's because we felt like it. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" He grinned down at her with an eyebrow raised.

"No, not at all," Auden answered, returning the grin. "In fact, I love it. It means you have more non-working hours to spend with me to do whatever we'd like."

"I love the sound of that," Fred said, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

Suddenly, the sound of voices floated through the closed bedroom door. "I don't know where they could be," Mrs. Weasley's voice said.

"Auden vanished right along with them," Auden's mother's voice added.

"I think we might be found," Auden whispered as Fred and George's heads snapped up to look at the door.

Fred lightly put a finger on her lips and whispered "Shh," never taking his eyes away from the door. George began slowly and quietly pushing boxes under the bed.

"This is ridiculous," Auden whispered. They could still hear the two women talking out in the hallway.

Fred glanced over his shoulder to make sure all the boxes were hidden before releasing Auden and walking to the door. He flung it open, revealing Mrs. Weasley and Auden's mother, just passing the doorway.

"That's odd, I could have sworn Muriel said that was a closet," Mrs. Weasley muttered.

"What were you doing in there?" Auden's mother asked as Auden and George followed Fred into the hallway.

"Nothing," Fred grinned.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Do we want to know?"

"That's up to you, dear mother of ours," George said, matching Fred's grin.

"Where did those owls come from?" Mrs. Weasley asked, peering into the room. "And don't tell me they made a mess on the floor!"

Auden clapped a hand to her forehead and she could practically see Fred and George mentally kicking themselves. They had forgotten the most obvious giveaway.

Mrs. Weasley stormed into the room and looked around. Finally, her eyes fell on a loose paper under the bed. She picked it up and scanned it. "An Owl Order form?"

"Yeah, we've got to keep business going somehow," Fred said with a shrug.

"Well, I certainly can't stop you from doing this since you do own your own business, but I don't know what Muriel will say," Mrs. Weasley placed the order form on the bed.

"Say about what?" Muriel asked, wheezing as she appeared in the doorway. Mrs. Weasley didn't answer. Muriel was already squinting at the owls on the dresser. "Who do those owls belong to?"

"Er, customers," George answered.

"Customers?" Muriel asked. "From that business you own? Why are their owls here?"

"Tell her," Mrs. Weasley prodded.

"We're running an owl order business since we can't go into work," Fred explained.

"In my extra bedroom?" Muriel asked.

"You said it was a closet yesterday," George told her.

"You very well know I'm not as young as I used to be," Muriel shook her finger at George. "My memory isn't as great as it was when I was your age."

"Can we still run the business, though?" Fred asked.

Muriel didn't answer right away, she just stared at the twins, expressionless. Finally, she spoke. "I suppose so, but do it somewhere else. The attic, perhaps, or outside. Not here in the bedroom. Plus, Bill's sending Ollivander the wand maker over when he is well enough and he's going to need this bedroom."

"Fine," Fred and George said at once, shrugging.

"There's a nice little gazebo outside and everything if you don't want to use the attic," Auden's mother suggested.

"Oh, is there?" Auden asked excitedly.

"Gazebo's are girly," Fred mumbled. Auden punched his arm. "But it works." He leaned down and whispered in a voice for only Auden to hear. "Better than that attic with those horrible dresses."

Auden snorted and shook her head.

"Are we ready for dinner, then?" Mrs. Weasley asked, ushering everyone out of the room and shutting the door.

"More than ready," Auden answered as her stomach rumbled.

"Yeah, we're starving," Fred and George answered together.

"When are you not?" Auden giggled.

A few days later, on April 1st, Fred and George's birthday arrived. Mrs. Weasley cooked a fancy dinner for the occasion. Ginny and Auden even helped her bake a cake that said "Happy Birthday Fred and George," in red icing. While Auden enjoyed baking the cake, she wished that she wasn't in hiding so that she could've gotten Fred a gift. She knew he didn't particularly care about gifts, but still, she wished she could've gotten him or even _made_ him something.

Later that night, she knocked on Fred and George's door. "Hey," she said quietly as she slipped inside.

"Hi, Aud," George said.

"What's up?" Fred asked, pushing himself into a sitting position. He had been lying across his bed with his head dangling over the side.

"I just wanted to visit," Auden said, shrugging. "And wish you happy birthday again."

"Thanks," Fred said with a grin.

"Yeah, thanks," George added. "By the way, that cake was the best I've ever had."

"I didn't do much," Auden answered, taking a seat next to Fred. "Ginny and I just helped your mother."

"Still, you did help," Fred said, kissing her temple, "and you deserve some credit."

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to get you anything this year," she whispered.

"We don't need anything," Fred assured her, saying exactly what she had suspected he would.

"Speak for yourself," George muttered. Fred smiled and rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Aud," George continued, "I was expecting quite a few extravagant gifts from you, especially under the circumstances, which make it nearly impossible for you to get us anything."

"George," she giggled.

"Really, Aud," Fred said, "you've done so much for me over the past three and a half years. To be honest, I'm just glad you're here with me. Having you here safe is actually the best gift ever right now."

Auden nodded. "I'm glad I'm with you, too."

"I'm glad as well," George chimed in with a cheesy smile.

Auden groaned and tossed a pillow at him.

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Auden helped Fred and George with their owl order business. They were still very busy, and Auden rarely got to spend time alone with Fred, but she was thankful for any time with him at all. Ollivander arrived in the middle of April and took over the bedroom that was once believed to be a closet. Mrs. Weasley had made the twins clean up the owl droppings and Auden's mother had ordered her to help.

A week after Ollivander's arrival, Auden slipped outside after dinner with a book. She headed straight for the gazebo and made herself comfortable on one of the benches inside. The moon was bright that night, but she lit her wand anyway as a second light source. The smell of the flowers planted around the gazebo floated through the air and crickets were chirping.

"You look lonely." Auden looked up to see Fred leaning against the gazebo post near the entrance, his hands in his pockets. She hadn't even heard him approach.

"I could use some company, yeah," she said, setting her book down and smiling. Fred walked over and sat next to her. He rested his elbows on his legs and looked up into her face.

"How's your book?"

"It's great," Auden said, glancing down at it.

"I'm better company though, I bet," Fred smirked.

"Much better. There's no question about it," Auden answered.

Fred slid closer to her and traced the side of her face with his finger. "There's nobody here to interrupt us, you know," he whispered.

"Unless they're all looking out the window," Auden whispered back, on the verge of losing herself in those eyes again. Even after all this time, she still found them mesmerizing.

Fred laughed quietly. "I wouldn't put it past them, but luckily, that plant is in the way."

Auden glanced over. "No it isn't," she said, confused.

Fred lazily flicked his wand without breaking his gaze from Auden's face. The plant on the opposite side of the gazebo grew taller and taller until it blocked the dining room window.

Auden couldn't stop herself from grinning. "That'll teach them to spy on us," she whispered, "you know, if they are spying."

A smile flickered across Fred's face, but he became serious as he leaned in closer, his hand still on her cheek, and kissed her, slowly and gently. Auden slid her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. Fred's other hand found her legs and pulled them onto his lap. Auden vaguely registered her book falling to the ground as she accidentally kicked it off the bench, but she didn't care. At the moment, her mind was filled with Fred. His arms around her, his lips against hers, the softness of his hair and the way he was making her heart pound.

Finally, they broke apart and Auden rested her head on Fred's chest. "Do you want to hear something funny?" she asked.

"I would love to hear something funny," Fred whispered, playing with her hair.

"I was thinking the other night-,"

"You're right, that's hilarious," Fred answered.

"Fred," Auden picked her head up and swatted him. "I'm not telling you anymore."

"No, I'm listening. I'm completely serious now. See?" He gestured to his face, which he arranged to look serious.

"Fine," Auden rested her head on his chest again. "Anyway, I guess it's more interesting than funny, but I was thinking the other night how much stuff we've done; how much stuff _you've _done."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked.

"Think about it," Auden replied. "Even if it's something small, you can say you've done it. Do you know what I'm trying to say? I know it's really random, but one day when we grow up we can tell people 'yeah, we ran an owl order business from a stuffy old witch's house,' or 'I tried on ancient ugly dresses in the attic of the same house', or 'we narrowly escaped from Snatchers.' And in your and George's case, 'we opened our own joke shop, and we left school early to do it.' You know? All stuff to tell the grandchildren one day. It's like a giant bucket list and we can look back and see we did all this stuff. Even if it's not necessarily something _happy_."

"Dropping out of school isn't something I'm always proud of," Fred said.

"Why?" Auden asked. "Actually, don't answer that. I can see why, but look at how successful you and George are. It's not like you're failures."

"I know, but Mum was always so disappointed that George and I never got that many OWLs and she never really approved of us starting our own joke shop."

"That was before you were so successful. She didn't know it would actually happen. She had no way of knowing, but I know for a fact that she's not disappointed in you, if that's what you're thinking."

"George and I aren't like Percy-,"

"Why would you want to be?" Auden asked.

"True," Fred responded. "But we aren't like Bill either."

"No, you're not, but you're Fred and if you were like Bill then I probably wouldn't have fallen in love with you."

"I see how it is," Fred gently tapped her shoulder with his, "you've got something against guys with names that begin with 'B.'"

"That's definitely what it is," Auden rolled her eyes and laughed.

"But sometimes I feel as if she didn't even believe in us," Fred whispered. "It sometimes felt as if _nobody_ believed we could do it."

"I did," Auden whispered, reaching up and rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone as she gazed into his eyes.

Fred smiled. "You know, Aud, sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you," he whispered. Auden looked up and she could tell he was grinning, even though his face was hidden in shadow. It was enough to make her grin right along with him.

* * *

**A/N: I hope everyone likes this chapter. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and/or added to their favorite stories/author list or added me to their favorite author/author alert. It really does mean so much. **

**The lyrics in the title are from the song **_**Falling In**_** by Lifehouse.**


	18. Chapter 18: Absolutely Everybody

One day, towards the very end of April, Bill came to Muriel's house with news. Auden hadn't seen him since he brought Ollivander a few weeks earlier, but seeing him made her nervous. She didn't know if he was bringing good or bad news. She didn't think she would be able to handle any bad news right now. When Bill arrived, everyone was gathered in the dining room, having just finished eating dinner. They heard the knock on the door and Mr. Weasley stood up to answer it.

"Bill!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as Mr. Weasley led his oldest son into the dining room. "Is everyone all right?"

"Everyone's fine. I actually have good news," Bill grinned. "Remus came to visit us just a few hours ago and Tonks has had the baby!"

"That's fantastic!" Mrs. Weasley cried as Auden and Ginny squealed with joy.

"Boy or girl?" asked Auden.

"Boy," replied Bill.

"What's his name?" Ginny asked.

"Ted, after Tonks's father," Bill answered. "They decided to make Harry godfather."

"Oh, how wonderful." Auden's mother clapped her hands in excitement.

"Remus said Teddy's a Metamorphmagus, just like Tonks. His hair started changing color immediately," Bill chuckled.

Mrs. Weasley insisted that Bill stay and at least have a drink. He refused at first, but eventually gave in to his mother's request.

"Well, I'd better be going now," he said finally. "Fleur and the others will be wondering where I've gotten off to."

"Can we come see Harry and the others?" Auden asked, gesturing herself, Ginny, and the twins.

"No," Bill said. "I told you this a few weeks ago when I brought Ollivander. Every bedroom is full. You're better off here. I don't have enough room for even one more person, nevermind four."

"We don't have to sleep there. I just want to visit them."

Bill shook his head. "I'm sorry, I know how hard it must be to have not seen them for so long, but it's safer if we don't travel back and forth too much."

Auden let out a huff of air and crossed her arms, but she dropped the subject. Fred put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"You'll be able to see them soon enough," Auden's mother said with a small smile. "We all miss them."

"Tell them we all say hello," Mr. Weasley said as they all walked Bill to the door.

"I will. They'll be happy to hear you're all doing well." He looked back at Auden and half-smiled before playfully nudging her shoulder. "Cheer up. Like your mother said, you'll be able to see them soon enough. And they miss you, too. They've been asking for you."

"I still want to see them in person," Auden whispered.

"I know," Bill told her sadly. "And you will. Just be patient, okay?"

Auden simply shrugged and looked at her feet as Fred gently pulled her backwards into him and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. Once Bill left, there was silence in the entry way of the house. Auden was still frowning slightly. Even though she believed Bill when he said her friends were doing fine, she just wanted to see them. It had been so long and she had spent so much time worrying about them.

"Auden, dear," her mother said kindly, "I know you want to see them, but like Bill said, there's no room and it's not safe to keep traveling back and forth."

"Mum, I haven't seen them in months. I didn't know until a few weeks ago that they were all safe. Ginny told me about Luna being taken from the train after Christmas and I knew that Dean was on the run. I just wanted to see them, even if it was a short visit."

"I know," her mother answered, in a somewhat sad voice. "We all want to see them, trust me."

* * *

A few nights later, Auden walked into the kitchen to get a drink, and she walked in on her parents talking in hushed whispers with Muriel and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They stopped talking at once when Auden walked in.

"What's going on?" she asked slowly, opening the fridge and continuing to stare at the adults.

"Nothing, dear, it's nothing," Mrs. Weasley said in a suddenly cheerful voice. "Are you hungry?" she hustled over to the cupboards and began opening and closing them.

"We should just tell her, Molly," Auden's dad advised.

"I agree," Mr. Weasley said.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Fine, tell her," she huffed.

Auden took a butterbeer from the fridge and stood there, waiting. "Tell me what?"

"Why don't you sit down?" Her mother gestured to an empty seat. Auden sat down as Mrs. Weasley resumed her seat next to her.

"There have been rumors, Auden," Mr. Weasley said, "about something Harry, Hermione and Ron did."

"They're at Bill and Fleur's," Auden answered. "Unless you mean something they did before they reached Shell Cottage?"

"No, this happened today," Auden's mother said. "They aren't at Bill and Fleur's anymore."

"What do you mean?" Auden asked, her voice coming out in a squeak. "They were there a few days ago."

"They left early this morning," Mr. Weasley said. "They didn't tell Bill and Fleur anything, but the rumors are that they broke into Gringotts. I guess Lee, Katie, and Angelina are continuing Potterwatch and that's where we heard the news."

Auden was silent, but then she let out a small laugh. "I wouldn't be that surprised if that were true, but do you think they would be that crazy to break into one of the most heavily guarded wizard buildings?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Muriel wheezed.

Auden let out a frustrated groan. "This is what I was afraid of happening. This is why I wanted to see them before they snuck off and did something else insane that could potentially get them killed."

"Do you think the rumors are true?" Auden's dad asked.

Auden shrugged. "How should I know? All I know is that if they _did _break into Gringotts, then they had a good reason to." She paused. "They are okay, though, aren't they? They aren't hurt? They didn't get caught?"

"The rumors are that they escaped on a dragon," Mr. Weasley answered. He actually looked rather amused.

Auden leaned back in her chair. "Wow," she breathed.

"Now, we don't even know if this is true," Mrs. Weasley said. She didn't look amused at all. She just looked anxious.

Auden suddenly felt the fake Galleon from the DA heat up in her pocket. She had taken to carrying it around everywhere, just like she had in her fifth year. It was almost a sort of comfort to her. Not wanting to take it out in front of the adults, she stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" her dad asked.

"Upstairs," she answered. "Unless there's something else?"

"No, that was all," her mother answered.

Once Auden had shut the kitchen door behind her, she took off running until she was around the corner. She leaned against the wall and pulled out the fake galleon. It was probably from one of her friends letting her know what had really happened.

The message wasn't from Harry, Ron, or Hermione, however. It was from Neville. _Harry's here,_ the message said, _at Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione too. They did break into Gringotts. We're in the Room of Requirement. Come now, we're going to fight. There's a tunnel to the room from the Hog's Head. Aberforth, the owner, will show you when you get there. Be sure to Disapparate straight into the Hog's Head._

Auden's heart was pounding. The rumors were true, Harry had broken into Gringotts, but they had all escaped and they were okay.

She began to run up the stairs to find Ginny and the twins. She guessed that Neville had sent them messages too. As she ran around the corner, Auden bumped right into Ginny.

Ginny held up her fake Galleon. "You too?" she asked breathlessly, seeing the look on Auden's face.

Auden nodded. "I was just coming to look for you, Fred and George."

"Let's go find them," Ginny said, grabbing Auden's arm. They ran towards the twins' room and found them just leaving.

"We have to go…now," Ginny said forcefully as she and Auden skidded to a stop in front of Fred and George.

"I know," Fred answered.

"We have to tell our parents _something_," Auden added. "It would be wrong to just leave."

"They'd stop us if they knew where we were going," Ginny cried. "Well, they'd stop me at least. I'm underage."

Auden shared a look with Fred and George. She knew they were all thinking the same thing.

"Ginny, go wait in the front yard," George instructed, putting his hand on Ginny's shoulder. "We'll deal with the parents." He nodded towards Fred and Auden.

As soon as Ginny took off, Fred grabbed Auden's hand and George tiptoed ahead of them down the stairs.

"We aren't telling our parents anything, are we?" Auden asked.

"Nope," George whispered. "We just need to get Ginny out of sight first. That way, if they catch us walking outside to Apparate, Ginny won't be with us." They flattened themselves against the wall outside the kitchen and George raced forward and pressed his ear against the door. "They're all still in there. Let's go."

"Maybe we should let them know," Auden suggested, glancing over her shoulder as they darted towards the front door. "If we're supposedly going to fight, the Order will want to help, too."

"We can let them know when we get to the Room of Requirement and figure out what exactly is going on," Fred whispered, tugging on her hand. They slipped out the front door and met up with Ginny on the front lawn.

"So, straight into the Hog's Head?" George asked.

The other three nodded before they turned on the spot and reappeared inside the Hog's Head. The barman was standing near the stairs, talking to Lee, who had just gotten there from the looks of it.

Lee looked ecstatic to see them and waved excitedly. "Harry's back!" he yelled.

"We heard," Fred held up his Galleon, as Cho Chang appeared beside them.

"This is Aberforth," Lee said, gesturing to the barman.

"I'm also exhausted," Aberforth mumbled. "This place has been like a train station all evening with kids coming in and out."

"It's for a good cause, though," Lee said, patting Aberforth on the shoulder.

"Come on, I'll show you to the tunnel," Aberforth said, his expression unchanging. He led them up the stairs and over to the fireplace. There was a portrait hanging over the mantle of a young girl. Aberforth smiled at the portrait and nodded his head slightly. The girl in the portrait smiled back, an airy, sweet smile, and the portrait swung forward, revealing a tunnel with a dirt floor and lined with brass lamps hanging on the wall.

"Wow, how long has this been here?" Fred asked, peering inside. "It wasn't on the map, was it, George?"

"Definitely not," George answered. "There were only seven secret passageways. This one wasn't on it."

"The other passageways have been blocked," Aberforth said, "by spells, curses and guards. This is the only passageway that's unknown to anyone up at the school. It's been here for ages, though."

"Wish we had known about it," Fred mumbled.

"Well, in you go," Aberforth said after a moment's silence.

Lee clambered into the tunnel first, before helping Cho inside. George went next, helping Ginny. Fred followed and reached down to give Auden a hand.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before George spoke up. "So this leads right into the Room of Requirement?"

"That's what Neville said," Ginny answered. "Too bad we didn't know about it when we had the D.A. We could've escaped when Umbridge came looking for us."

"I can't believe Harry, Ron and Hermione actually broke into Gringotts," Lee added. "I wasn't even sure it was true when I reported it."

"My parents heard you on Potterwatch," Auden told him.

"Yeah, I continued it with Katie and Angelina while you were gone."

"I listened to it every week," Cho added. "It was like a small sense of hope."

They reached the end of the passageway and were face to face with a small door. Ginny pushed it open and the others followed her inside. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing a few feet away, and Harry's mouth had fallen open at the fact that more people were arriving.

"Harry!" Auden yelled, running to give him a hug before moving on to Hermione and Ron. "I've missed you all! I wanted to come see you while you were at Bill and Fleur's but Bill wouldn't let me."

"We missed you, too!" Hermione exclaimed. "How have you been? We heard you on Potterwatch last month. And Bill said you were caught by Snatchers!"

"We were," Auden said. "It was terrifying, but luckily we escaped okay. But what about you? A _dragon_?"

Hermione nodded. "It was our only option. And at least now the dragon's free in the wild."

"Hagrid would be proud," Auden said. She glanced at Harry and smirked at his expression. He looked dazed that the Room of Requirement was filled with people. Luna and Dean were there, along with Seamus, Lavender Brown, and Michael Corner, Ginny's ex-boyfriend.

"So, what's the plan, Harry?" asked George.

"There isn't one," Harry answered, still looking dazed. Something gave Auden the feeling that calling everyone back had been more Neville's idea than Harry's.

"Just going to make it up as we go along, are we? My favorite kind," said Fred, stretching out on a hammock and putting his hands behind his head.

Harry rounded on Neville. "You've got to stop this! This is insane, why did you call them all back?"

"We're fighting, aren't we?" asked Dean excitedly. "That's what the message said."

Auden saw Harry rub his head and turn to Ron and Hermione for help.

"I think we should let them in on it," Hermione said, crossing her arms. "We don't know where it is," she added in a whisper. Auden assumed she was talking about one of the Horcruxes. Harry nodded after a moment.

"Okay," he said after a moment. Every pair of eyes turned to him. "There's something we need to find—something that will help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?"

Luna was the one to answer Harry's question. "There's the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. Daddy's trying to duplicate it."

"Yeah, but the lost diadem," Michael Corner added, "is _lost,_ Luna. That's the point."

"When was it lost?" Harry asked.

"Centuries ago, wasn't it?" Cho asked, and the other Ravenclaws in the room nodded. "Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but nobody's ever found a trace of it."

"Sorry, but what exactly is a diadem?" asked Ron.

"It's like a crown," Luna answered.

"If you'd like to see what it looks like, Harry," Cho said, "I could take you up to our common room and show you. Ravenclaw's wearing it in her statue."

"Yeah, alright," Harry answered, rubbing his scar again.

"No," Ginny spoke up suddenly, staring straight at Harry. "Luna will take you, won't you, Luna?"

"Oh, yes, that would be lovely," Luna answered, standing up. "This way, Harry." She led Harry over to a corner where a small door opened onto a staircase.

"It comes out somewhere different every day, so they've never been able to find it," Neville said as Luna opened the door as wide as it would go. "Only trouble is, we never know exactly where we're going to end up when we go out. Be careful, Harry, they're always patrolling the corridors at night."

"No problem," Harry said. "See you all later." He and Luna disappeared up the staircase and the room was left in silence. After a moment, everyone began talking amongst themselves. George had gone to sit with Katie and he had his arm around her. They both looked thrilled to be together again. Auden smiled. She couldn't help but feel sorry for George. He and Katie had been separated a lot lately, and she and Fred had always been lucky enough to be together. It had always made her feel a bit guilty, but now she was just glad that the two of them could finally be reunited.

"Here, sit down," Fred tugged on Auden's sleeve and she sat down on the edge of the hammock.

"Everyone start sending messages to anyone else that you can think of including members of the Order," Neville announced.

Seconds later, Ron and Hermione were standing in front of Fred and Auden. "We don't have time to talk," Ron said, "but we're going down to the Chamber of Secrets. Just in case anything happens, you know where we are."

"Why?" Auden asked, wrinkling her nose. "Is that where you think, you know," she glanced around the room, "_it_ is?"

"No," Hermione shook her head. "But there is something down there to destroy the one we have."

"How many did you find while you were gone?" Auden asked, while Fred looked totally lost.

"Well, we found the real locket and destroyed it," Ron whispered. "Then we found the cup, but we haven't destroyed it yet."

"How did you destroy the necklace?"

"The sword of Gryffindor," Ron answered.

"But how-?"

"Long story, we'll explain later," Hermione said, pulling on Ron's sleeve. "But we have to go. We'll catch up with you later!" With that, she pulled Ron out of the room.

"What was that about?" Fred asked.

"It has to do with something Dumbledore left Harry to do. They told me about it last year when they thought I was going with them."

"So, the thing Harry needs to find now…that's part of what Dumbledore told him to do?"

Auden nodded. "It's complicated, and a really long story."

"I'll bet it is," Fred answered, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "You'll have to tell me on a day when we have more time and when all of this is over."

Auden laughed. "You'll have to ask Harry to tell you."

As they were talking, members of the Order had begun to arrive as well as other people that they knew. Oliver Wood was there, along with Alicia Spinnet and Angelina. Auden's parents and Ben also arrived, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur, Kingsley, and Lupin

"I wonder what's taking Harry so long," Dean called over to them from the next hammock.

"There he is now," Fred said, pointing.

Sure enough, Harry had stopped short at the foot of the steps leading into the room. Luna almost bumped into him.

Lupin had noticed Harry as well. "What's going on, Harry?" he asked.

"Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school. Snape's run for it. What are you doing here? How did you know?"

"We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army," Fred explained, his hand still on Auden's arm. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the D.A. let the Order know, and it all kind of snowballed."

"What first, Harry?" George asked, from the hammock he was sharing with Katie. "What's going on?"

"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized," Harry answered. "We're fighting."

Everyone cheered and began running for the door. Auden almost laughed as she saw Harry's eyes grow wide as he dived out of the way and began fighting his way towards her. "Did you find anything?" she asked him as he reached her.

Harry shook his head, but didn't get a chance to speak, because Mrs. Weasley's voice carried across the room as she yelled at Ginny. Auden, Fred, and Harry joined the small group surrounding the two of them that included Lupin, George, Bill, and Fleur.

"You're underage!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!"

"I won't go home!" Ginny yelled. "I can't! I'm in Dumbledore's Army!"

"A teenagers' gang!" Mrs. Weasley retaliated.

"A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!" Fred exclaimed.

"She's sixteen!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, rounding on Fred. "She's not old enough! I don't know what you and George were thinking, bringing her with you. And you too, Auden!" Auden blushed from embarrassment.

"Mum, we—," George began.

"Save it," Mrs. Weasley said crossly.

"Mum's right, Ginny," Bill said. "You can't do this. Everyone underage will have to leave, it's only right," He put a hand on Ginny's shoulder. She looked like she wanted to shake him off, but she didn't move.

"I can't go home!" she said angrily. "My whole family's here! I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and-," she paused, midsentence and glanced at Harry, but he shook his head. "Fine," she continued. "I'll just go sit at home then, and—," she was cut off by a scuffling and a thump as someone else climbed through the tunnel from the Hog's Head.

"Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I-," Percy stopped mid-sentence, staring at most of his family. He clearly hadn't expected such an audience.

Auden's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. What in the world was Percy doing here?

The silence was broken by Fleur turning to Lupin and speaking in a loud voice. "So, how eez leetle Teddy?"

Lupin blinked. "Oh, he's fine," he answered, just as loudly. "He's at his grandmother's house tonight. In fact, I have a picture!" He pulled a picture from his pocket and held it out. Auden, along with Fleur and Harry, peered at it over Lupin's arm. Percy's return was a matter for the Weasleys to handle.

"Oh, how cute," Auden cooed, smiling at the small baby with bright turquoise hair. "He's so-,"

"I was a fool!" Percy yelled, causing Auden to jump and Lupin to drop the picture. "I was an idiot. I was a pompous prat, I was a—a -,"

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," Fred answered, shrugging.

"Yes, I was," Percy whispered, looking Fred in the eyes.

"Well, you can't say fairer than that," Fred grinned, holding out his hand to Percy.

Mrs. Weasley burst into tears and pushed Fred aside to get to Percy. Fred stumbled into Auden who giggled and smiled at him.

"What made you see sense, Perce?" George asked.

"It's been coming on for a while," Percy answered. "But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry. They're imprisoning traitors all the time. I got in contact with Aberforth and he let me know that we're going to fight, so here I am."

"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these," George said, sticking his nose in the air as he did a spot on imitation of Percy. "Now let's get out there and fight or else all the good Death Eaters will be taken."

Fred grinned and grabbed Auden's hand again as they ran towards the exit. George met up with Katie, who was waiting just outside and the two of them ran off towards the Great Hall together.

"Wait, Fred," Auden said, stopping him just outside the door. "If anything happens to us out there…" she began. She shook her head and instead of finishing her sentence, she kissed him forcefully, as hard as she could. Fred seemed shocked at first, but then he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her back just as forcefully. "I love you," she whispered.

Fred nodded. "I love you, too."

Auden smiled as she pulled away and grabbed his hand again. Together, they ran off towards the Great Hall.

* * *

**A/N: The song in the title is **_**Absolutely Everybody**_** by Vanessa Amorosi. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19: Together We're Unlimited

They reached the Great Hall, where all four tables were filled with students. The noise level was louder than it had ever been. Fred and Auden found a seat next to George and Katie as Professor McGonagall stood at the front and waved her hand in the air. Members of the Order, along with the Hogwarts teachers, stood behind her.

Professor McGonagall began explaining the evacuation of the younger students. Halfway through her speech, Auden noticed Harry sneaking in and walking along the wall towards their table.

"…evacuation will be overseen by Mr. Filch and Madame Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your House and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."

Ernie Macmillan flung his hand into the air. "What if we want to stay and fight?" he asked.

"If you are of age, you may stay," Professor McGonagall said, adjusting her hat nervously.

"What about our things?" asked a Ravenclaw girl.

"We have no time to collect possessions," McGonagall answered.

"Where's Professor Snape?" asked a Slytherin.

"He has left the school," McGonagall replied. "Protection has already been placed around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you to move quickly and calmly and do as your prefects tell you."

Auden nearly jumped as Harry appeared at her shoulder. She had forgotten he had come in. "Have you seen Ron and Hermione?" he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, they went down to the-," Auden began, but she didn't get a chance to finish because a high, cold voice echoed throughout the room. There was no source of the voice; it seemed to come from an invisible loudspeaker.

"I know that you are preparing to fight," said the voice. It was the voice of the darkest wizard known to the wizarding world. Many students screamed. Auden herself grabbed onto Fred's arm as her heart began pounding. "Your efforts are futile," the voice continued. "You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

The room was filled with silence. No one dared to move, speak, or breathe.

"Give me Harry Potter," Voldemort's voice said, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."

There was silence in the room once more as Voldemort's speech ended. The only movement was the movement of heads as everyone turned to look at Harry.

Pansy Parkinson stood up at the Slytherin table and pointed at Harry. "He's right there! Potter, he's right in this room! Someone grab him!"

Auden's jaw clenched, and at once, every person in the room, minus the Slytherins, stood up and pointed their wands at Pansy.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," Professor McGonagall said, her voice tense. "You and the other Slytherins will leave the hall first, with Mr. Filch, if you please."

Table by table, Professor McGonagall dismissed the students. No members of the Slytherin house stayed to fight, but a good amount of Ravenclaws stayed behind. Even more Hufflepuffs remained seated, and half of the Gryffindor table remained filled.

"Absolutely not, Creevey. I don't care if you'll be seventeen in a month, you aren't seventeen now," McGonagall said, ushering Colin Creevey out the door.

Kingsley stepped to the front of the room, then, and began to speak. "We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast. A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers—Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor—where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, Arthur, and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school—,"

"Sounds like a job for us," Fred announced, indicating himself and George. Kingsley nodded in approval.

"Okay, so leaders up here and we'll get organized," Lupin said.

Auden was sent off with Fred and Hannah Abbott, while George and Lee took two other groups to cover two other passageways.

Fred grabbed onto Auden's hand tightly as they made their way through the crowd to a secret passageway hidden behind a statue. Fred tapped the statue with his wand and it moved aside, revealing a dark tunnel.

"Alright," Fred said as he turned to face Auden and Hannah, "all we need to do is wait here and if anyone comes through this tunnel that we don't like, we blast their brains out."

Hannah nodded and Auden snorted.

Fred rested his arm on the top of the statue and leaned into it as he faced the tunnel entrance and aimed his other hand holding his wand into the dark hole. The three of them stood in silence for a few minutes, until the castle shook with an explosion.

"What was that?" Auden asked.

"I don't know," Fred answered, looking up and down the hallway and at the ceiling. "It definitely didn't sound good though."

"I think it came from outside, which means the Death Eaters are here, but haven't gotten into the school yet," Hannah added.

Auden instinctively took a step towards Fred. She wasn't going to lie, she was scared. The Death Eaters may not have been inside the school yet, but they would be soon. Auden didn't want to be separated from Fred, but she knew that them being separated was something that might very well happen.

The three of them waited for another few minutes and heard a few more explosions before Harry skidded around the corner in a great hurry.

"I need to borrow you," he said, grabbing Auden's sleeve as he ran by. Fred looked scared and shocked as she was dragged away. He clearly didn't want to be separated either. "Sorry!" Harry yelled over his shoulder.

"Harry, what's going on?" Auden asked, as Harry dragged her around a corner.

"I know what the Horcrux is and I just need to know where Ron and Hermione are. You seemed to know when I asked you earlier."

"Yeah, they went to the Chamber of Secrets not too long after you left with Luna."

"The Chamber of—why?"

"Why don't you ask them?" Auden asked, pointing over Harry's shoulder. Ron and Hermione were running down the hallway, their arms filled with basilisk fangs.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "It was all Ron's idea! It was absolutely brilliant! I asked him how we were going to get rid of the Horcrux and he remembered about the basilisk!"

"How did you get in? You need to speak Parseltongue," Harry asked, bemused.

"He did!" Hermione answered. "Show him what you did, Ron."

Ron cleared his throat and made a horrible hissing noise. "It's what you did to open the locket," he added.

"So you destroyed the cup?" Auden asked.

"Yeah." Ron held it up. "Hermione did it. She hadn't had the pleasure of destroying one yet."

"That's brilliant!" exclaimed Harry.

Another explosion suddenly shook the walls and dust fell from the ceiling.

"Harry knows where the diadem is," Auden said.

"Where?" Ron asked.

"He hid it exactly where I hid my old Potions book, where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries. He thought he was the only one to find it. Come on, I'll show you."

They took off running towards the Room of Requirement. As they passed the tunnel Auden had previously been guarding, she noticed with a jolt that Fred and Hannah were no longer there. She had thought they would be so that Auden could have grabbed Fred and brought him along, but now she had no idea where he was.

When she, Harry, Ron and Hermione finally entered the Room of Requirement, they found Ginny, Tonks, and Neville's grandmother sitting inside.

"Is everyone okay?" Ginny and Tonks asked at once.

"As far as we know," Ron answered.

"Where is my grandson?" Neville's grandmother asked.

"Fighting," Harry answered.

"Naturally," she answered proudly. "Excuse me, I must go and assist him." She hustled through the exit with great speed for an old woman.

"I thought you were with Teddy at your mother's house?" Auden asked Tonks.

"I couldn't stand not knowing. She'll look after him. Have you seen Remus?"

"He was supposed to be out on the grounds," Harry answered. Without a word, Tonks left the room. "Ginny, we need you to leave just for a moment," Harry continued, "but then you need to come back in."

Ginny looked thrilled to be able to leave and ran out the door quickly.

"You've got to come back in!" Harry yelled, looking perplexed.

"I'll go with her," Auden volunteered, and sped off after Ginny. The walls and ceiling were shaking worse than before and dust was flying everywhere. She wondered where Fred was and if he was okay.

She found Ginny and Tonks standing at a broken window, sending jinxes into the crowd below.

"Come help," Tonks yelled to Auden, moving over to make room. Auden joined them and sent a Stunning spell into the crowd of people.

Aberforth ran by as the castle shook once more. The Death Eaters had almost reached the castle.

"Have you seen Remus?" Tonks asked Aberforth.

"He was dueling Dolohov the last I saw him," he answered. Tonks ran off without another word.

"Come on," Ginny said, dashing away from the window. The castle gave another great shake and small bits of stone fell from the ceiling.

"Ginny, you should wait here so you can go back inside the Room of Requirement later."

"Are you kidding?" Ginny snorted, dragging Auden down the hallway, narrowly avoiding a jinx sent from behind them.

As the two girls reached the lower floors, they spotted Death Eaters climbing staircases and maneuvering down hallways. They had entered Hogwarts. Auden and Ginny shared a look. This was it.

They reached the entrance hall to see Death Eaters flooding inside. A curse flew over Auden's shoulder and blasted apart the banister of the stairs. When she turned around, she had lost Ginny in the crowd. "Ginny!" she yelled, running down the stairs.

To her left, she saw a Death Eater dueling with Luna, who was backed up against the wall. Auden sent a jinx at the Death Eater and sent him falling forward, unconscious.

"Thanks, Auden!" Luna answered, running off, a look of relief on her face.

Auden spun around to see another Death Eater with his wand pointing in her face. She backed up as her eyes widened. The Death Eater shot a spell at her, but she ducked. It hit the painting behind her, which fell off the wall. The corner of the painting hit Auden's shoulder blade and she thought she felt blood start trickling down her back.

"Stupify!" Auden yelled, but the spell missed the Death Eater by a fraction of an inch. She was now stuck in the same corner that Luna had been stuck in moments before.

The Death Eater shot another spell at her and she dived out of the way, but she wasn't as lucky this time. The spell hit her cheek and she felt a gash appear. It was the same one that Greyback had used on her, nothing worse than that, thankfully.

Auden stood up again and shot another Stunning spell at the Death Eater. It hit him at the same time as another Stunner shot by George, who was standing behind the Death Eater.

"Thanks for that," Auden said.

"No problem," George answered breathlessly. "Have you seen Fred?"

"No, the last time I saw him was when we were guarding the secret passageway."

George gave a small nod before running off. Auden was becoming increasingly nervous. She was terrified. She wanted to blast every single Death Eater into oblivion so that the battle could end and she could find out where her friends and family were and if they had survived.

She ran out onto the grounds and darted out of the way just as a giant's foot crashed down on the place where she had just been standing.

She kept running, blood trickling down her cheek. She found Lavender Brown dueling another Death Eater and narrowly missing a killing curse. Auden raced to Lavender's side and helped her by shooting every jinx she knew at the Death Eater. One of her jinxes hit him square in the face and his face began to turn red as burns erupted on his skin.

"Nice one," Lavender commented.

Auden nodded. She was glad he was hurting. She wanted them hurt after all Voldemort and his followers had done.

A cackle sounded from behind her and Auden turned to see Bellatrix Lestrange running through the crowd, shooting spells and Killing Curses everywhere. Auden sprang into action as Bellatrix pointed her wand at a figure who Auden recognized who wasn't looking in their direction: her brother.

Remembering Harry's old Potion's book, Auden ran towards Bellatrix, her wand aimed, and yelled "Sectumsempra!"

The spell hit Bellatrix in the arm and cuts appeared up and down her skin, spewing out blood. Bellatrix shrieked with pain and anger and turned her wand on Auden, who was ready. She sent a Stunner at Bellatrix and missed. Bellatrix began shooting curses and jinxes right back, that Auden miraculously dodged.

Out of nowhere, Sirius appeared and began dueling Bellatrix. "Get out of here," he yelled to Auden. "I can take care of her."

"No, I'll help," Auden answered.

"Go," Sirius urged.

Reluctantly, Auden obeyed. She ran back towards the castle, dodging spells. Her feet pounded the ground, her heart pounded in her chest, and it was as if she could feel the blood pounding through her veins due to adrenaline, nerves, and fear.

When she was almost at the front doors, she tripped and fell. Pain shot through her arm and she felt her wrist break. It was the same wrist she had broken in her fifth year. Apparently fate hated that wrist.

Biting back tears of pain, Auden looked to see what she had tripped over. It was a person, a person that was clearly dead. Auden looked closer. It was Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. Auden felt slightly nauseated; he was dead after all, but at least it wasn't anyone on her side, on Harry's side.

Despite her aching wrist, Auden stumbled to her feet and was just about to turn to go inside, when Voldemort's voice rang through the air once more.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter it myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

Auden looked around frantically. Death Eaters were backing away towards the forbidden forest. Auden had to find Harry. She had to talk to him and tell him to not go to Voldemort; tell him that they would keep fighting with him—keep fighting _for_ him.

Auden entered the castle. Now that the explosions and yells had stopped, it was eerily silent. The floor was stained with blood and emeralds were scattered across the floor from the broken Slytherin hourglass.

People were crowding into the Great Hall, and Auden followed them. She saw Harry at the doorway, looking sick.

"Harry," she panted, "don't go, don't go to him. We're all going to keep fighting. You can't listen to him."

He stared at her cut cheek and her wrist and he looked even more upset. "Auden, people have died. I don't want any more of that."

"Promise me you won't go," Auden said fiercely.

Harry just stared back at her. He didn't answer, but he started backing away. "I need to go to Dumbledore's office."

"Harry," she yelled after him, but he didn't leave through the front doors towards the forest. Instead he turned and went upstairs. He really was going to Dumbledore's office. Auden didn't understand, but she turned her attention to the Great Hall. She had to find Fred.

"Auden, dear," Madam Pomfrey hustled over to her. "Come with me, I'll get you healed."

"I have to find Fred," she answered. "Let me find him first."

"No," she said sternly. "You're hurt."

"Have you seen him?" Auden asked.

"No, I haven't. He hasn't been in here."

Auden scanned the room anyway as the nurse led her to a cot set up at the front of the room. The people who had died were lined up in the middle of the room. Auden's eyes wandered across the line of people as Madam Pomfrey pushed her down onto a cot and began cleaning her cheek. Neville was laying Colin Creevey down at the end of the line and Auden sucked in her breath. He must have snuck back to fight, even though he was underage. Her stomach clenched in sadness, disgust, and anger at the unfairness of it all. Her stomach clenched even further as she saw Colin's little brother, Dennis, start to scream with sobs as he saw his brother's body.

On the cot next to her, Professor Trelawney was being treated for a broken leg and several scratches on her face. On her other side was an unconscious Oliver Wood.

"Is he going to be alright?" Auden asked Madame Pomfrey.

"He'll be fine, he's just knocked out."

"Do you know about anyone else who has…?"

Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. "The Malfoy boy informed me that his friend Crabbe was killed in a fire that was started in a part of the castle. Now, sit still please, I need to fix your wrist."

Auden sighed and sat still as Madam Pomfrey ran her wand over her wrist. Where was Fred? He wasn't in the room, but that didn't mean he was safe. He could be trapped somewhere. She needed to find him. Just then, Percy entered the room and looked around wildly. Upon spotting her, he dashed over. "Have you seen George?" he asked.

"No, why, is everyone alright?" she asked, panic rising in her stomach.

"Um, well," Percy took a deep breath, "Fred's missing."

"What do you mean he's missing?" Auden shrieked, standing up.

"Auden, please sit down," Madame Pomfrey said sternly, pushing Auden back onto the cot.

Percy ran a hand through his hair and knelt in front of her. "I was there. We were fighting Death Eaters and the wall exploded. I grabbed Fred and pulled him out of the way and as he fell backwards, we heard a crack and when the dust cleared, he was gone. I talked to my dad, and we think that Fred must have grabbed onto someone who was Disapparating."

"Who would Disapparate and where would they go?" Auden asked. "This doesn't make sense. Maybe he's around somewhere and you just haven't looked hard enough."

"No, Auden," Percy put a hand on her knee. "Where else could he have gone? We were all in that hallway. It would be impossible for him to disappear that fast."

Auden couldn't breathe. She blinked her eyes a few times. "Well, you're going to get a search party together, right? You're going to find him?"

"Of course, straight away," Percy said. "But, just a warning, if we don't find him within a few weeks, it's going to be assumed that he's…"

"No, he's alive, they'll find him," Auden said forcefully, meeting Percy's eyes sternly.

"If he's not found after a few weeks and if he went along with a Death Eater…."

"We were captured by Snatchers and were gone for almost a month and we're still alive!" Auden shouted. "Or were you not aware, because let's see, you deserted your family!"

"Auden," Percy looked sincerely pained and guilty. "I regret everything I've done ever since I walked out on my family. It was a moment of insanity for me to have done that."

"Clearly," Auden scoffed.

Madam Pomfrey was looking between the two of them like she was watching a tennis match. Any moment her head would fall off and roll across the floor.

"Look, Auden, we might end up finding him. Don't give up or get upset just yet."

"You're the one that's given up," Auden sniffed, crossing her arms.

"No, I'm just being realistic," Percy answered, putting a hand on her knee.

"Does George know?" Auden asked, pursing her lips as she met Percy's eyes again.

"No, I haven't seen him yet," Percy answered, looking relieved that Auden wasn't shouting at him anymore.

"I'll go find him," Auden said. "Am I free to go?" she asked Madam Pomfrey, who nodded her head weakly.

Auden left the Great Hall, looking for George. He was the one person she knew that Fred's absence would affect almost the same as it affected her. She almost ran into him at the doorway and she sighed in relief. "George," she gasped, grabbing his arm.

"What's wrong? You're completely pale," George's eyes grew wide.

"Fred's gone missing," Auden said quietly. She explained what Percy had just told her. George looked as if he was struggling to breathe. His mouth opened and closed, but no noise came out.

"You can't be serious. You're kidding me. This is a joke," he whispered hoarsely.

"I wish it was," she whispered back.

Their conversation was cut short by a voice echoing through the building; a voice Auden had come to dread more than any other sound.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

That was the last straw. Auden knew better. She knew that Harry would never run away and try to save himself. It was more like he was trying to save everyone else.

Professor McGonagall pushed past Auden and George, her face stone white. "Impossible," she was muttering under her breath.

Auden and George looked at each other before following, every occupant of the Great Hall thundering after them.

"No!" Professor McGonagall screamed as she threw open the front doors. Auden and George appeared behind her and saw a line of Death Eaters facing them, Voldemort in the center, and Hagrid standing to his right, carrying a limp Harry in his arms.

"Harry!" screamed Auden. She grabbed onto George for support. This could not be happening. She felt as if she were losing everything. Her boyfriend, one of her best friends, her hope.

"No, no, NO!" Ron's voice screamed. He had appeared next to Auden along with a sobbing Hermione and a screaming Ginny.

"Silence!" screamed Voldemort. He waved his wand and with a bang and a bright light, Auden felt all words die in her throat due to the silencing charm. Voldemort continued to speak. "It is over! Set him down at my feet, Hagrid, where he belongs!"

Hagrid lowered Harry to the ground at Voldemort's feet. "You see?" he screeched, in his high, cold voice, "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!" He turned Harry's lifeless head towards them with a dirty, grubby foot.

"He beat you!" Ron yelled.

"Don't touch him!" Auden yelled at the same time. They had broken the charm and the rest of Hogwarts was yelling and shouting again until a second bang and a flash of light silenced them all once again.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," Voldemort said, getting a kick out of his lie, "killed while trying to save himself-,"

He was interrupted by Neville, rushing forward and shouting, but Voldemort flicked his wand and Neville fell to the ground.

"Who is this?" he asked, his voice hissing in the night air.

"It is Neville Longbottom!" Bellatrix's voice was dripping with amusement. "The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors!"

"Ah, yes, I remember," Voldemort hissed as Neville struggled to his feet. "You are a pure blood, aren't you, Neville Longbottom?"

"So what if I am?" Neville asked fiercely and loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville, his voice low and menacing this time, but it rang throughout the grounds nonetheless. "Dumbledore's Army!" To the shock of the waiting crowd, they realized that the Silcencing Charm had been broken and they cheered in response to Neville's words.

Neville raised his fist in the air and Auden felt a rush of pride to call Neville her friend. Maybe her hope hadn't been entirely lost after all.

* * *

**A/N: I hope everyone likes this chapter. It's an important one and I wanted to get it right. The song I used in the chapter title is **_**Defying Gravity**_** by Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20: When You're Gone

At Neville's outburst, Voldemort kept his voice quiet, and it was more frightening than if he had shouted. Auden could hear evil in every word. "Very well," he said flicking his wand, "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head be it."

Auden flinched, expecting something terrible to happen, but nothing did. Neville's eyes were wide with confusion, but then everyone heard it. There was the sound of something rushing through the air. Auden looked up and saw a dark, tattered object flying towards Voldemort's outstretched hand. It was the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts," Voldemort said, as he caught the hat. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

Before Neville could answer, Voldemort waved his wand and performed a nonverbal Body Bind Curse. Neville grew still, unable to move, with his hands pinned to his sides. Voldemort then stuck the hat onto Neville's head. Auden tried to move, but George grabbed her arm and shook his head slightly.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," Voldemort said, his voice still low. He flicked his wand and the Sorting Hat burst into flames.

Screams rang out across the lawn and Auden started running, but this time nobody stopped her. They were all running too. It seemed like the whole school was tearing across the lawn towards Voldemort, screaming and yelling all the way. Even Grawp tore around the side of the castle, the ground shaking under his massive feet.

Arrows were flying through the air from the centaurs and the ground shook as giants ran across the lawn. It was complete chaos, but Auden managed to fight her way through the crowd to Neville. She froze a few feet away from him. Neville broke free of the Body Bind Curse, and flung the burning hat off of his head, pulling from it a long, shiny, silver item with rubies on the handle.

Auden stared in shock as Neville, without pausing for a second, swung the sword through the air and sliced the head of Voldemort's snake clear off. Voldemort let out a yell of rage. Whatever happened next, Auden wasn't sure, because Hagrid was yelling "Where did Harry go?"

Sure enough, Harry was gone, but Auden found that she didn't have time to wonder where he had gone. Death Eaters, wizards, giants, thestrals, and centaurs were raging across the lawn and Auden narrowly missed getting hit by a centaur's arrow.

Somehow, everyone was moving back towards the castle, so Auden followed the crowd, shooting curses and jinxes at any Death Eater she saw. At the foot of the castle steps, however, one of Voldemort's giants reached down with a huge hand and picked Auden up, clenching her in his fist.

Auden screamed as she was pulled up, up, up, until she was even with the giant's face, about twenty feet off the ground. She couldn't move her hand to fire a curse at the giant, because her arms were pinned to her sides.

The giant began to laugh, an ugly, stupid sound, as he squeezed her tighter and tighter. Auden couldn't breathe and she was starting to feel lightheaded. She was going to suffocate.

Suddenly, the giant let out a roar and let her go. She was falling quickly and she braced herself to hit the ground. This wasn't going to end well either, if she even survived the fall. She didn't hit the ground though. Someone had cast a charm that slowed her speed. Gently, she was lowered onto the ground. She looked up at the giant, who was rubbing his eyes.

"Conjunctivitis Curse," Percy said, helping her up and giving her a half smile. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks" Auden answered. Percy nodded before running into the castle, waving his wand around and shooting curses left and right. Auden followed him, hitting a Death Eater with a well aimed Stunning Spell.

Once she reached the Great Hall, she looked around and saw George and Lee dueling with a Death Eater named Yaxley. She raced over to join them. All three of them sent a curse straight at the Death Eater, knocking him to the floor unconscious.

Auden, George, and Lee stared down at the unconscious man, all breathing heavily. Their moment of victory was broken by someone yelling, "Not my daughter, you bitch!"

Auden whirled around to see Mrs. Weasley storming towards Bellatrix Lestrange, who was dueling with Ginny, Hermione, and Luna. She stepped in front of them and began skillfully shooting jinxes at Bellatrix. Voldemort was dueling against Kingsley, McGonagall, and Professor Slughorn a few feet away, but all other duels had stopped. People were lining the walls, watching the two fights in silence.

"What's going to happen to your children when I've killed you?" Bellatrix asked with a cackle. "You must know one of your sons have gone missing. If I were you, I wouldn't bother searching for him. He's probably dead, and what are your children going to do when the same happens to you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

Auden lunged towards Bellatrix, but George held her arms. "Don't, unless you want her to kill you too," he yelled, his voice strained.

"I don't care, not after what she just said," Auden answered. She struggled against George's grip, but he was too strong. Eventually, she just sunk to the floor, giving up the fight as George crouched beside her, still keeping his hands on her arms, but in a looser grip.

"You will never touch our children again!" Mrs. Weasley screamed at Bellatrix, her face contorted with rage. And with that, one of her curses flew directly at Bellatrix and hit her straight in the chest, sending her toppling over backwards, her evil smirk frozen on her face.

Everyone in the room cheered, except for Voldemort, who gave a cry of fury and turned his wand on Mrs. Weasley.

"No!" Auden and George yelled.

"Protego!" cried an all too familiar voice, and Auden's breath caught in her throat as Harry appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the hall.

"He's alive!" Lee exclaimed.

"I don't want anyone else to try and help," Harry said loudly. "It's got to be like this."

"That isn't how it works, Potter," Voldemort hissed. "Who are you going to use as a shield today?"

"Nobody," Harry shrugged one shoulder. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me."

"You think you will be the one to survive? The boy who has already survived countless times by accident and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings," Voldemort hissed.

"Accident was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry. He and Voldemort had begun to circle each other, their wands pointed in each other's faces. "Accident," Harry continued, "when I decided to fight in the graveyard?"

"Accidents!" yelled Voldemort.

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," Harry said. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people-,"

"But you did not!" Voldemort cut him off.

"I meant to, and that's what did it. They're protected from you. That's why none of the spells you put on them are binding. I know lots of things that you don't know. Want to hear some before you make another big mistake?"

"Is it love again?" Voldemort sneered. "Dumbledore's favorite solution…love. It didn't stop me from killing your parents and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward and take my curse now, so what will stop you from dying?"

"Just one thing," Harry answered.

"If it isn't love then you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or perhaps a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both," Harry said.

Voldemort laughed. "You think you know more magic than I do? I have performed magic that even Dumbledore never dreamed of."

"Oh he did," Harry responded, "but he knew more. He was a better wizard and a better man."

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!" Voldemort screeched.

"You thought you did," Harry answered simply.

The people in the hall were sharing glances with each other. What was Harry getting at? Auden watched Harry and Voldemort continue to circle as Harry explained to his enemy, and everyone else listening, that Dumbledore had planned his own death ahead of time with Severus Snape.

Auden's eyes widened as Harry explained that Snape had been on Dumbledore's side all along and was acting as a spy; that Snape had been in love with Lily Potter and had turned a spy for Dumbledore the moment Lily had been killed.

Harry continued to talk about an Elder wand and how Dumbledore wanted to prevent the wand from choosing a new owner by planning his own death.

"The true master of the Elder Wand isn't you," Harry said. "It's Draco Malfoy."

"What does it matter? We duel on skill alone and I can attend to Draco later."

"You're too late. I took Draco's wand from him weeks ago." Harry's hand holding his wand twitched and Auden's eyes flicked to the wand that had once belonged to Draco Malfoy. "That means," Harry explained, "that I am the true owner of the Elder Wand."

There were small gasps throughout the crowd, but neither Voldemort nor Harry seemed to have heard.

There was a brief moment of silence before both wizards acted at once.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

The spells connected in a flash of red and green light, and the sound was like a cannon as the two spells collided. It seemed to happen in slow motion. Voldemort's wand flew from his hand, spinning in the early morning sun shining through the windows, towards Harry, who caught it as Voldemort fell backwards and hit the floor with a thud, a cloud of dust puffing out around him.

Auden's heart leapt. Harry had done it. It was over. Voldemort was gone and he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone ever again.

The Hall was filled with the kind of silence that pressed against eardrums, but it only lasted a second before the crowd was cheering and running towards Harry, trying to hug him and congratulate him. Mrs. Weasley and Auden's mother were crying with joy and hugging each other, Ginny threw her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him, Sirius was doing some kind of victory dance, and Bill was spinning Fleur around.

Auden wove her way under arms and around bodies until she reached Harry. She threw her arms around him. "You did it, you really did it," she whispered in his ear.

He beamed back at her, looking like he had just won a long, grueling marathon. In a way, he actually had.

As the crowd around Harry thinned, Auden noticed George slipping through the Great Hall doors. She followed him and saw him sitting on the staircase in the entrance hall, which was now almost destroyed, with huge chunks missing.

"George?" she asked tentatively, sitting down next to him.

"What do you think happened to him?" he asked, looking straight ahead. Dirt and tear tracks were covering his face.

"I don't know," Auden answered quietly. It was finally sinking in that Fred was missing, nobody knew where he was and he might not be coming back. The battle had kind of numbed her brain to the thought, but now in the calm and silence, it was finally registering.

"I wonder who it was that Disapperated," George said, punching his palm with his fist, "and why they haven't sent Fred back yet."

"Percy thinks it was a Death Eater, but there are no theories of why a Death Eater would leave the battle."

"He was probably being a coward. The Death Eater I mean," George said.

"George? Do you think he's alright?" Auden asked as her stomach clenched. The war was over, but it didn't feel like it. It wouldn't feel right until Fred was back.

"I hope so, I really do. He just can't be…" George trailed off and shook his head. "He can't be. He's my twin, my other half. He can't leave his family. He can't leave me—us." George gestured to himself and Auden before sighing, running his hands through his hair and burying his head in his arms.

Auden slid her hands around George's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. She rubbed his back as he began shaking with silent sobs. She wanted to cry, too, but she couldn't. She felt that she had to be there for George first. Her voice was shaky as she spoke. "He'll come back, George. We found a way back from the Snatchers, so Fred can find a way back to us now."

George raised his head and rubbed the back of his hand across his nose. "I hope so," he whispered. Just then, Katie came out of the Great Hall and looked at George sadly. Auden stood up and walked over to her.

"Sit with him," she whispered, smiling sadly. "He's devastated and he needs someone right now."

"What about you?" Katie asked. "Do you want company or would you rather be alone?"

Auden shrugged. "I don't know what I want right now. Besides Fred coming back, I mean."

Katie pulled Auden into a hug before letting go and heading over to George while Auden went into the great hall. It was early morning by now and it was decided that one large funeral would be held the next day for everyone who had died. Nobody was planning on leaving Hogwarts and returning the next day. Sleeping arrangements were made for everyone for that night, and most people spent the day sitting in the Great Hall comforting each other. Despite having been up all night, nobody seemed to want to sleep just yet.

Auden joined the Weasleys and her family at the Gryffindor table. Ginny was sitting with her head on her mother's shoulder.

Ben gave his sister a small smile as she took a seat next to him. She slid closer and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arms around her. "I'm so sorry about Fred, Aud," he whispered.

"You say that like he's dead," she said.

"That's not what I meant," he replied gently. "I'm sorry that he's missing. I want him back, too. We all do."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes until George and Katie re-entered the room and joined them. "Search parties are going out tomorrow to look for Fred," Mr. Weasley said hoarsely as George and Katie sat down.

"Why not today?" George asked.

"George, everyone's just been fighting all night. You can't expect-," Mrs. Weasley began.

"I just don't want to waste any more time. Nobody knows where he is, who he's with, or what they're doing to him."

"I know, dear," Mrs. Weasley reached out and put her hand on top of George's. He kept his face expressionless and his eyes downcast, staring at the lines in the wooden table.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes were rimmed with red and she sounded as if she had a head cold. Mr. Weasley's face was as solemn as Auden had ever seen it. Percy was sitting with his forehead pressed against the table and his eyes squeezed shut. Bill was staring at the ceiling and rubbing Fleur's back as she slept against his shoulder.

It was strange to see the Weasleys this way. They were usually so happy and full of life. Mrs. Weasley could be strict, but the majority of the time, she was in a good mood. Fred's absence was a reminder of how close the Weasley family really was. A missing child would be hard for any family, but for the Weasleys it was a lot more than that. Fred had affected so many lives that nothing would be the same without him.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used for this chapter is **_**When You're Gone**_** by Avril Lavigne. Thanks for all the reviews and to anyone who's added this story to their favorites or story alert. :)**


	21. Chapter 21: Lost Without You

The funeral for those who had died was held out by the lake. The weather was overcast and it was drizzling slightly, which was very fitting for what was happening that day.

Auden sat with her family and the Weasleys in silence during the funeral. It was really a nice service. Tombs for all of the other fallen witches and wizards had been created and they surrounded Dumbledore's white marble one.

Despite the fact that Auden was sitting next to George, Katie was on his other side, and they were holding hands throughout the whole funeral. It not only made Auden miss Fred more, but she felt as if the one person who could understand what she was feeling the most was being comforted by someone else. She felt alone, even though there were plenty of people around. But she tried to push her feelings away. Today wasn't about her. There was a possibility that Fred was still alive and a good amount of people here had lost a family member for good.

After the funeral, most people hung around for a little while longer before going home. Harry was moving in with Sirius at Grimmauld Place. Hermione was staying at the Weasley's house for a few days until she could go to Australia and return her parents' memories to them.

Repairs of Hogwarts were scheduled to take place over the summer and they were expected to be finished by September 1st. Professor McGonagall had been made headmistress and she had promised to be in contact over the summer with a solution to how Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Auden could finish their schooling.

Once Auden and the Weasley's returned home, George went straight to his room without a word to anyone. Auden wondered if she should try to talk to him. Mrs. Weasley seemed to read her mind and put a hand gently on her shoulder.

"I think he needs some time alone," she said quietly, looking after George with a sad smile.

Auden nodded and followed her parents and brother into their own house, where she went straight to her own room and changed out of her black dress and into her pajamas.

Over the next few days, everyone had become aware as to how quiet things were without Fred. He and George had been a team. Together, they had caused mischief, trouble, noise and laughter. It was now down to only George, and he had become silent and in no mood to make jokes. He hadn't gone back to the flat or the shop since the battle.

Every day Auden asked if the search parties had found any sign of Fred, but there was nothing. Each day that passed with no news seemed to drain away a chunk of hope that Fred was still alive. George was getting more and more silent and Auden was feeling more and more alone. The time she spent at the Weasley's house wasn't the same as it used to be. George hardly left his room and the other members of the family seemed more lifeless every day. The fact that a member of their family was missing hung over everyone's heads.

Auden found herself spending more and more time alone in her own room. Each day that Fred didn't come home made her more and more upset. She was hardly eating and she wasn't sleeping well either. It scared her that, ultimately, she wasn't doing much better than George. She did leave her room more than he did and tried to go to the Weasley's house for something to do, but it was hard. It was a constant reminder that Fred was missing, so she began doing it less and less.

"Auden," Ben whispered slipping into her room one night around dinnertime. It was a week after the battle and she was holed up in her room, curled under her covers. "Are you coming down for dinner tonight?"

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"You haven't been hungry for a week. The only time you've eaten anything is when I force you to and even then, you just pick at it."

"Aud," Ben said, sitting down at the edge of her bed. He gently ran a hand through her hair as she continued to stare blankly at the side of her nightstand.

"What, Ben?" she muttered.

"You're scaring me," he admitted.

Auden didn't think her heart could possibly break any more, but she had apparently been wrong. Her family didn't deserve what she was putting them through, but at the same time, she was so miserable, she couldn't bring herself to get up.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. She wiped them away hastily and sniffled. "I just...I miss him. I don't know what to do with myself. And George hasn't been talking to anyone, but he still has Katie around and I just feel so alone."

"You have me. And Mum and Dad," Ben said softly.

"But you don't get it," she whispered. "Fred's so important to me. I need him."

"I know your heart's broken right now, but we're looking for him, Aud. And we'll do everything we can to find him."

"Well you haven't found him," she said. "And eventually the search parties are going to get called off and he's going to be assumed dead even if he isn't."

"But that's logical, really," Ben said bracingly. "If he's with Death Eaters, I doubt they'd even keep him alive for too long."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Look, Aud," Ben said, rubbing her arm confortingly, "I think you need to try getting out of bed and talking to us. Talk to George."

"He won't answer his door," she said quietly. "And I tried talking but it's so painful. Going to the Weasley's is painful. Everything is painful because no matter what, I can't get my mind off Fred."

"Mum made your favorite dinner tonight," Ben said after a moment of silence.

Auden half smiled. "Yeah?"

Ben nodded and returned the smile. "Will you please come eat some? Because it'll be such a shame if it has to go to waste."

"It won't. Knowing you, you'll happily eat my share," Auden said.

"But I'll feel terrible about it," Ben pouted.

Auden smiled again, wider this time. "Sure."

"I would! Come on, Aud. I care about you. I can't stand to see you like this. Please." His voice was desperate and it was enough to get Auden to sit up and look at him.

"Fine," she said. "I'll come eat. But only because I don't want to be the reason you're upset. I don't want you to worry about me."

Ben leaned forward and hugged her, pulling her to him and rocking her back and forth. "Thank you."

"I love you, Benny," she whispered, hugging him back.

"Love you too, Aud," he whispered back.

A week later-two weeks after the battle-Auden was sitting in bed, looking out her window at the moon. It wasn't a full moon tonight, but it was especially bright. It cast light through Auden's window and onto her bed. She wondered if Fred, wherever he was, was staring at the same moon.

She couldn't bring herself to believe he was dead. She knew that he was strong. He would find a way back, or at least stay strong until he was found. That's what she tried to convince herself at least. The thing was that the search parties were only going to keep searching for a few more days. And with every day that Fred wasn't found, she found herself thinking the worst more and more.

On the very last day of the search, Auden woke up early and made a beeline for the kitchen, where her parents and Ben were sitting at the table. "Well?" she asked, looking at them expectantly.

They looked up at her sadly. "Nothing," her mother whispered. "Honey, I'm so sorry."

"Just because you didn't find him in a few weeks doesn't mean he's dead," Auden said shakily.

"Auden, most likely, he-," her dad began.

"Don't say it!" she said, her eyes filling with tears. Her stomach clenched and her chest tightened as she fought back her tears. Fred couldn't be dead. She wouldn't be able to handle it and she knew there was _no_ _way_ George would be able to.

"Auden, you have to face it." Her dad's voice was firm. "He's probably not coming back. He's gone."

"Dad," Ben said, sending his father a look.

"She has to understand, Ben. She can't be living in some fantasy that he survived. We just got out of a war and out of the biggest battle we've had in a long time. People don't survive these things. Fred's not invincible."

"She loves him, Dad," Ben answered. "They were best friends for years and they've been dating for three and a half. You can't expect her grasp this easily."

"And how do you think I feel? Fred was like a second son to me." He looked at Auden. "Honey, I'm sorry, but there's nothing any of us can do."

"Does George know? Does he know what you _think _happened to Fred?" Auden asked, crossing her arms. She knew her dad had a point. She _knew_ the reality of war, but she also knew that she needed Fred. Besides, there wasn't any proof that he was dead. There wasn't any proof that he was alive either, but as long as they hadn't found a body, she thought it was fair that she kept hoping.

"Molly and Arthur were going to talk to him." Mr. Parker frowned, but didn't comment on Auden's word choice.

"I'm going to see him," Auden said, turning for the stairs.

"I don't think you should," her mother said.

"_I_ think she should," Ben said defiantly, crossing his arms.

Auden's mother sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Fine, but don't expect him to talk to you."

Auden got dressed and determinedly headed over to talk to George. She had tried to talk to him before, but he never answered when she knocked on his bedroom door. Today, though, she was going to talk to him whether he wanted her to or not. They needed each other in a time like this and couldn't stay holed up in their rooms in silence. They needed to help each other. She really should have done this sooner, and she had been stupid not to, but she was doing it now. She could only hope George would let her in.

"George," she called, pounding on his bedroom door. "I know you're in there and you can't keep ignoring me. I need to talk to you."

There was silence on the other side of the door.

"George," she said again. "Please open the door." It came out in almost a whisper.

Miraculously, the door opened, and George stood there. He had dark circles under his eyes, despite the fact that he had been in his room for most of the past two weeks. He stood there, staring at Auden for a few seconds, before turning and walking back to his bed and sprawling across it.

Auden stood in the doorway for a moment before entering the room. It only took her a second to notice that George had covered up the mirror with a blanket. She knew why he had done it and it broke her heart even more. Taking a deep breath, she went over and sat gingerly on the edge of George's bed, staring into his face. She couldn't bring herself to look at Fred's side of the room. It was as if she were afraid of what she might see; afraid of the empty, unused bed and the messy, unorganized dresser that was now collecting dust.

"Mum thinks he's dead," George said dully, still looking at the ceiling.

"What?" Auden asked.

"You heard me. Mum thinks he's dead, dad thinks he's dead. Everyone thinks he's dead. They've all given up."

"My parents, too. Do _you_ think he's dead?" Auden asked.

"I don't know," George whispered. "I didn't think so, but Bill was over yesterday and we almost got into an argument. I told him Fred would come back and he told me to _be realistic_."

"That's what my dad said, too," Auden said quietly.

"What about you? Do you think he's alive?" George asked, glancing at her.

"I hope so. I really do. But all I know for sure right now is that," she squeezed her eyes shut and sighed, "I'm confused and I'm lost. And I'm scared, too. The war's over, and I shouldn't be scared, but I am. I want him home and safe. I want news, but at the same time, not knowing might be better than finding out he's dead. I don't know what to do. I'm miserable and I feel like nobody understands how much I miss him. It actually hurts, George."

George just looked at her as she finished talking. He sat up and still without speaking, grabbed her in a hug and without knowing how it happened, Auden was crying. She hadn't cried since Fred disappeared and now all of the pain was coming out in the form of tears. George had already cried his tears and Auden had been there to comfort him, and now it was his turn to do the same for her.

When the tears finally stopped flowing, Auden sniffed and pulled away from George. She gave a shaky, almost forced laugh before wiping her eyes. "I want you to go back to the shop," she said.

"What?" George asked, blinking in shock a few times.

"I want you to go back to work." Auden knew George probably couldn't believe his ears. They were both terribly upset, she had just cried her eyes out and now she was telling him to go back to work at the shop he and Fred had run together from day one.

"It won't be the same," George mumbled. "Everything will be a constant reminder that he's missing."

"I know, but I don't think it's healthy for us to mope around. I'm done moping. I don't want to do it anymore. That's why I want to help you. If that's okay with you, I mean."

George blinked at her. "I don't know if I can do it."

"It'll probably be hard at first," Auden nodded, "but honestly, I think it needs to be done. It'll be good for us, I think."

"So you just want to move on just like everyone else and accept the fact that Fred…won't be coming back?"

Auden took a deep breath. "If it's true that he's gone, then we're going to have to move on. It's something that will come with time, not overnight, but it's also not going to just happen. We're going to have to help it along. I don't know where Fred is and I don't know what to believe, but I think we're going to move on either way."

George stared at his hands, chewing on his lip. Finally, he looked up at her. "Fine, I'll go back. But I definitely want you there to help. I don't know if I can do it alone."

Auden gave a weak smile and nodded. "I understand," she said. "Does tomorrow sound good? We don't have to open the shop tomorrow, but we'll use the day to clean it up and reorganize. We can open the day after tomorrow, or even in two days. But the sooner the better, I think. It'll give us something to do."

George nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. "What time tomorrow?"

"I'll be over here by eight. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that's fine," George said.

Auden gave him a watery smile. "See? You're stronger than you think."

"I may not be so strong tomorrow when we actually go to the shop," George snorted. He shook his head and looked down at his blanket. "I miss him, Aud."

"I do, too," she whispered.

George looked up at her and studied her face. "Have you been eating and sleeping?"

Auden shrugged. "Barely."

"That's what I thought," George said with a nod. "You don't really look like you have." He let out a breath of laughter. "Fred would hate me for not taking care of you."

"He'd be pretty unhappy with both of us for not taking care of each other," Auden corrected. "I know you've been doing worse than I have. He'd want us to help each other out, which is another big reason why I want you to go back to work. It's what he'd want."

"You're right," George sighed, leaning back on his pillows again. "I just wish it wasn't so difficult."

"I know," Auden whispered, reaching over and placing her hand on his. "I feel the same way." She paused. "Have you talked to Katie at all?"

"No, not since the funerals," George sighed. "She probably hates me. She's been stopping by and sending letters, but I've ignored all of it. I'm such a jerk."

"No, I think she understands," Auden said gently. "Write to her though. It'll help. I promise."

George nodded. "And what about you? Do you need anything?"

Auden laughed. It sounded strange to her and a bit foreign. "George, you're barely taking care of yourself," she said gently.

"I know, but like I said...you're my brother's girlfriend and also one of my best friends. I really should have been taking care of you more than I have been. I've just..." He trailed off and sighed as he shrugged.

"I know, I get it." Auden said. "And maybe I should have been here for you, too."

"You were. I just wouldn't come out and talk to you. I've been a bit of a mess in case you couldn't tell," George said with a quiet laugh.

"Nah, not at all. You're holding up pretty well all things considered and you look as handsome as ever."

"Still the better looking twin?" George asked with a tiny smile.

Auden scrunched her face up in thought. "Eh, I wouldn't go that far."

George let out a real laugh and pulled Auden into a hug. "Fred's so lucky to have you," he whispered, "and he knows it. He tells me all the time. I just want you to know how special you are to him and how much he loves you."

Auden nodded and swalled the lump in her throat. The past few weeks had been two of the hardest weeks of her life, but now that she had gotten through to George, she had a feeling that they both could only get better from here.

* * *

The next day, just after eight in the morning, Auden found herself outside of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with George at her side. They both stared up at the sign in silence. It was still painted with bright colors, but without the moving, shining window displays and usual crowd of people, the shop seemed dull and boring.

Auden and George entered the shop together. Everything was covered in a layer of dust and it was eerily silent. It was unusual compared to the usual noise inside the shop. The shelves were half empty, having not been refilled in a while, and the front desk was covered with random objects that needed to be put away. A thin ray of early morning sunlight shone dully through the dusty window.

"I can't do it," George stated, his voice thick as if he were about to start crying.

Auden turned to face him. "Yes, you can," she said gently.

"No, Auden, I can't!" he insisted. "This is different for me than it is for you. He was my best friend and he's not here!"

"What do you think he was for me?" she asked patiently.

"You-you aren't-it's just different," he said.

"No, it's not," Auden told him. "I love Fred very much. Sure, our relationship is different than what he has with you, but that doesn't mean one of us loves him more. Being here is just as hard for me, but I need this. I need to keep myself occupied and I need people around me. People who understand and who haven't given up because I just can't bring myself to do that yet."

George looked at her and swallowed before looking around the shop. "He's not dead," he sniffed. "He'll come back."

"Okay, then help me clean this shop up so he won't be disappointed when he gets back," Auden said with a smile.

"You don't think he's dead, then."

"Like I said, I don't know what to believe. We just have to take it day by day." Auden took a deep breath and let it out as she surveyed the shop. "Well, let's start with getting rid of all the dust, first."

They split up into different sides of the shop and waved their wands over the dust covered areas, making it disappear instantly. The last thing Auden cleaned was the window and once she did, the sun shone brighter, filling the shop with more light. Auden squinted as the bright light hit her eyes.

"Now what?" George asked, coming up behind her.

Auden sighed and put her hands on her hips as she looked around. "Let's do the front desk next."

They approached the desk, and they noticed that the cash register had been broken into. Someone had probably broken in during the shop's desertion in the recent weeks.

"There wasn't much money in there," George said, waving his wand over the broken drawer and fixing it. "Fred and I usually take the money out every few days and put it in a safer place."

After the cash register was fixed, the two of them returned the objects covering the desk to their appropriate shelves and boxes and the papers to their appropriate folders.

"So I guess all that's really left to do is the restocking," George said, looking at the shelves.

"Pick a product and we'll restock that first with what's left in the back," Auden said. "Then we'll order more of what we need. What was your favorite product?"

"The Headless Hats, definitely," George said, breaking into a small smile. It was probably the second or third smile Auden had seen since the battle, and it still wasn't exactly a real one, but at least it was something.

"Let's start with those then," Auden decided, heading to the back room.

Restocking all of the products was the longest process. When they finally finished, they had enough time to order new shipments of things that were running low. They decided to re-open in two days and hung a sign on the front door with an announcement. It was dark out before they were finally ready to call it quits for the day.

"Are you going to move back into the flat eventually?" Auden asked, after they had Disapparated back to the Burrow and were walking across the front lawn.

George ran a hand through his hair. "Probably, but when I'm ready," he answered. "I don't think I'm ready to go back there to live completely on my own yet."

"Understandable," Auden nodded. "But maybe soon?"

"Maybe," George answered. "I'll start thinking about it."

Auden patted his shoulder and smiled. That was all she could ask for.

* * *

Another three weeks dragged by. It had now been five weeks total since Fred had gone missing. It was a slow process, but George and Auden were helping each other to deal with Fred's absence. George had moved back into the flat about a week previously. It had been a big decision for him, and he still came by for dinner a lot, but it was progress.

Auden had volunteered to live with him, but he refused, saying it might be best if he got used to living there alone. Katie came by to visit him a lot and Auden noticed the positive effect she always had on him and she was glad George was finally letting her in. However, it made her miss Fred even more to see them together. It was like she had a constant stomachache from missing him. She now realized what it must have been like for George when they had been captured by the Snatchers, to see her and Fred together and not be able to be with Katie and know that she was safe.

The shop was back to its usual busy self. Verity had come back to work and Auden was also helping out every day. Not a day went by, however, that she didn't miss Fred with every piece of her heart, and she still hoped that he was somehow alive and trying to get back to her and his family.

George still wasn't the same person he once was, but he was improving and he was making an effort to improve and move on. That was all Auden could have asked for. His strength gave her strength. Some days, when he wasn't eating dinner at the Burrow, she would go over and cook something for him to make sure he was eating when he was alone. He seemed to really appreciate it, too, which made Auden happy.

McGonagall had written to her, Harry, Hermione, and Ron with a way for them to take their NEWTs. She sent them packets of lessons and worksheets that would serve as a form of at-home tutoring and preparation for the exams. It was a course that the Ministry had developed under Kingsley's instruction that could be completed during the summer. At the end of the summer, they would be able to take their NEWTs.

Of course, Hermione had gotten to work on the lessons right away. She had returned from Australia with her newly rescued parents in tow and she was living with them until July, when she would come to stay with the Weasleys.

One day, in mid-June, Auden was sitting in the Weasley's kitchen. She had the day off from the shop that day, so she had gone over to visit with Ginny, only to find out that she had gone to visit Harry. Mrs. Weasley was just leaving for Diagon Alley to do errands.

"You're welcome to stay here if you want, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "It'll be quiet. You'll have the house to yourself and you can do your school work."

Auden agreed, and sat down at the kitchen table to do her work as Mrs. Weasley left the house.

Life was slowly returning to a somewhat normal state for both Auden and the Weasleys. Auden still thought of Fred every day and she knew George did as well. Even so, everyone, including Bill, Fleur, Percy, and George, who lived on their own, was expected to come over for dinner that night and Auden's parents had been invited as well. Mrs. Weasley had a pot of soup on the stove and her only instructions to Auden had been to stir it every so often with the wooden spoon lying on the counter next to the pot.

Auden tilted her head from side to side as she worked on the lessons that McGonagall had sent her. It wasn't difficult work, but it was a different method of learning than Auden was used to.

The house was completely silent, except for the occasional bird chirping from outside. The silence made the sound of someone Apparating in the yard a few hours later that much louder. Auden jumped, but then relaxed, expecting it to be Mrs. Weasley or another member of the family.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Auden called, as the front door opened. The front door was located in the living room, and Auden couldn't see the door, since she was sitting in the kitchen.

There was no answer, but someone had definitely come inside the house.

"Ginny?" Auden tried. Still no answer. She slowly got up from her chair and slid her wand out of her pocket. As an extra measure, she took the wooden spoon off the counter and held it in her other hand.

She walked into the living room, and her eyes began to search for who had come inside, but after a second, someone grabbed her elbow. She screamed and whirled around with her eyes squeezed shut, and, for a reason she didn't know, began swinging the spoon wildly, despite the wand she was holding. The spoon made contact with something, or rather, _someone_. As Auden continued to smack them with the spoon, a voice cried "Ouch!" and it wasn't until then that Auden froze and opened her eyes. It wasn't a stranger she was hitting. She knew that voice.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used for this chapter's title is **_**Lost Without You**_** by Delta Goodrem.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter 22: I Need You

"Oh, it's just you, George. You're home early," Auden said, not really looking at him out of embarrassment. She had just ambushed him with a spoon and she probably had looked like an idiot. It was a good thing she had recognized his voice or else she would still be hitting him. For a second though, she had thought it was Fred.

"No," the redhead whispered. "It's not George, it's Fred."

Auden squeezed her eyes shut again. She had thought George was getting better, but now he had gone completely crazy, pretending to be his lost twin. Either that or he was completely better and was making a joke about it. But he would _never_ make a joke about something as serious as Fred going missing_._

"George, Fred's been missing for over a month now," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"No, listen," George-claiming-to-be-Fred said. Auden noticed the voice sounded ragged and breathless. This caused her to look up and she gasped. George, or whoever it was standing in front of her was covered in bruises and scratches, his hair was clumped with dirt, his lip was bleeding, and he had a hand holding his stomach, where there was undoubtedly another wound and a few broken ribs from the looks of it. Auden could see blood seeping through his dirty and wrinkled shirt, and his hand was covered in blood.

"George, what happened? Did someone attack the shop or something?" she cried, jumping up.

"No, you need to listen to me," he said. Auden saw him wince as he moved to stop her.

"I need to get you fixed up and then we'll-,"

"Auden," he said, his voice quiet. "I'm Fred."

Auden stared at him. George definitely would never make a joke out of this, she decided. There was no way. She tilted her head from side to side as she examined his face. When she finally looked into his eyes, her stomach lurched as she realized they were the light blue color of Fred's eyes. George's eyes were a slightly darker shade of blue.

For the final bit of proof, now that he had Auden's full attention, Fred moved his hair aside and showed her that he still had his right ear.

Auden stared at him, frozen, with her eyes wide. "Fred?" she whispered.

"Yeah," he said, smiling slightly. "It's me, Aud."

Auden's heart leapt. It really was Fred standing in front of her, alive. Hurt, but definitely alive. "It's really you," she whispered, lightly touching his cheek with her fingertips. He nodded as he closed his eyes and sighed at her touch.

A huge grin broke out across Auden's face and she threw her arms around him and squealed, feeling close to tears.

"Ow," Fred groaned quietly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Auden gasped, backing away and covering her mouth with her hands. "You're hurt, I forgot."

"Hitting me with the spoon didn't help much, either," Fred smiled.

"Sorry," she blushed, looking down.

Fred gave a small chuckle and winced again.

"Here, lie down," Auden said quickly, helping him to the couch. "I'm going to go get the cleaning stuff and soon you'll be as good as new. I'll be right back, don't go anywhere."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Fred grinned.

Auden raced up the stairs, almost tripping a few times in her rush and her excitement. Fred was back, he wasn't dead. She felt like dancing with happiness. She couldn't wait for everyone else to come home and see him. She couldn't wait for them to see that he was alive. She especially couldn't wait for George to come over. He was going to be over the moon.

Once she had retrieved everything she needed to heal Fred, she dashed back down the stairs and knelt by the couch. "Okay, well I think I'll tackle the bruises first," she said, examining the injuries covering Fred's body. He nodded and she began waving her wand over the bruises, watching them fade one by one. "Fred?" she asked after a moment's silence.

"Hm?" he answered, watching the bruises on his arms fade.

"What happened to you?"

Fred's eyes moved to the ceiling and he took a deep breath. "How much do you know?"

"Just that you were with Percy and the wall exploded. He said you were thrown backwards and then you disappeared. They suspect you grabbed onto someone who was Disapparating, though."

Fred nodded. "That's exactly what happened."

"Really?" Auden paused and looked at him. He was still staring at the ceiling. "Who was it?"

"It was a Death Eater. I think his name was Rookwood," Fred answered. "I didn't mean to grab onto him, but I was falling and my hand grabbed onto his cloak as he disappeared."

"Why was he leaving? Where did he go?" Auden asked, momentarily forgetting about healing Fred's injuries.

Fred turned his head towards Auden before reaching out and twirling a bit of her hair around his finger. He sighed, dropped it, and looked at the ceiling again. "He was leaving the battle because he was being a coward. He Disapparated to some forest and there were actually a group of Death Eaters that I didn't recognize there. I guess they weren't happy with the way they were being treated by You-Know-Who—,"

"Harry killed him, we don't have to say You-Know-Who anymore," Auden said with a smile.

"Just a habit I guess," Fred answered. "When they got the news, I heard the Death Eaters talking about what happened. Pretty amazing story, huh?"

"Yeah," Auden smiled.

"I'm sorry I missed it. Anyway," Fred continued, "They weren't happy with him. I guess they weren't being rewarded like he promised. Something like that."

Auden snorted. "They should have known that he wouldn't live up to his promises."

Fred shrugged. "They're Death Eaters; not exactly the smartest bunch. Anyway, they decided that fighting in the battle wasn't worth it, so they left. When I arrived with Rookwood, they were shocked. They seemed to know that if You-Know-Who, Voldemort, whatever his name is, found out that they ditched him, he would punish them."

"Which he probably would have if Harry hadn't killed him," Auden said.

"Exactly," Fred said. "So, they decided to keep me there in case they were found. They took my wand and were going to hand me over, but then they found out he was dead. I thought they were going to let me go, but no such luck."

"Instead they used you as a punching bag, knife sharpener, and a scratching post from the looks of it," Auden said, looking back over Fred's injuries.

"Pretty much," Fred said.

"How did you end up escaping?" Auden asked.

"Well, the Death Eaters seemed to realize that now the war was over and they had lost, people from the Ministry would come looking for them to send them off to Azkaban. They started moving around a lot to different forests and locations, and they brought me with them."

"Why?" Auden asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"They didn't want me to tell anyone about them. They didn't want to get caught."

"But if they were moving around, it would be hard for you to tell anyone exactly where they were."

"I know, but they didn't want to risk it. I think they enjoyed keeping me just for fun as well. Just like Greyback did when you, George and I were caught."

"So how did you end up escaping?" Auden asked.

"I knew I had to get out of there, but I really didn't know how. I mean, I wasn't lucky enough to have one of them helping me like we did with the Snatchers, so I had to think of something. I dug through my pockets and found one of the decoy detonators that George and I sell at the shop. I had forgotten it was there and I don't know why I didn't think to look in my pockets sooner, but it didn't really matter. So anyway, I sent the decoy off into the woods, a good amount of space away from the camp we were set up in. It made a loud noise, and it sounded like it might have been someone crashing through the woods. The Death Eater's thought it was an animal. See, they didn't have any food on them, and they were terrible at making something edible out of plants and things, so they all chased off after the sound. Then, I snuck into the tent and grabbed my wand. I sent one of those talking Patronuses to the Ministry letting them know there were Death Eaters on the loose and where to find them-,"

"And then you Apparated home?" Auden asked.

"Not yet," Fred said. "It was around breakfast time when I set off the decoy. After they ran off, I hid in the bushes to make sure that the Ministry wizards caught the Death Eaters when they came. I couldn't afford having them not get caught and then come looking for me. Then I Apparated home."

"So your dad and my dad are going to find out that you're okay while they're at work," Auden smiled.

"Maybe," Fred said. "I was hiding when the Ministry people came and I stayed hidden while they were rounding up the Death Eaters. I didn't want the Death Eaters to see me. When I sent the Patronus, I didn't use my name. I don't know if the Ministry recognized my voice or not, or even my Patronus, so dad may or may not know. He'll know for sure that Death Eaters were caught but I don't know if he'll know about me."

Auden nodded. There was silence between them once again as she turned her attention back to Fred's injuries. She cleared up his scratches and the rest of his bruises. She gently cleaned and healed his bleeding and cut lip. Now all that was left were the ribs and the cut on his side that Fred was still holding with his hand.

"Can you move your hand so I can fix your ribs?" Auden asked.

Fred nodded and slowly slid his hand away. Auden waved her wand and heard a crack as the ribs moved back into place and healed. Fred winced and squeezed his eyes shut, but then he relaxed and his breathing became less ragged. "This one's the worst," he whispered, pulling up his shirt to reveal the last injury.

Auden gasped. It wasn't a very long cut, but it was pretty deep and it had bled a lot. It was mainly surrounded with dried blood, but a little fresh blood was still leaking out. Auden closed her eyes. "Oh, Fred," she whispered.

"I'm fine." Fred gently squeezed her hand. "It doesn't hurt that much."

Auden gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, right," she whispered, opening her eyes. She was going to have to give the injury a good cleaning. She held up the rag soaked in cleaning potion and she saw Fred brace himself for the sting. "Here, squeeze my hand as much as it hurts," she said, grabbing his hand. It was something her mother had always said to her when she was little and got hurt.

Fred inhaled sharply and gave her hand a quick, tight squeeze as Auden used her other hand to clean the cut. When she was done, she paused for a moment.

"What is it?" Fred asked.

"It's just that the cut is deeper than ones I've healed," she said. "I'm not sure if I can heal it all the way. I can probably heal it most of the way but then we'll have to let it heal the rest of the way on its own."

"It's fine," Fred said. "Anything's better than what it was originally."

Auden did her best to heal the cut. By the time she had finished, all that was left was a thin, dark red line. Fred smiled as he looked at her.

"What?" she asked, meeting his eyes and blushing.

"I've just missed you, that's all," he said.

"I've missed you too," she answered. "So, so, much. Everyone thought you were dead."

"Did you?" he asked.

"George and I were the only two who really didn't want to believe it, but I guess you could say we were prepared to believe the worst if you never did show up."

Fred nodded. "So, what's been going on over here? Anything incredibly interesting?"

"Not really that much, but I'll tell you everything that you've missed. Er, you might want to go get cleaned up though. You're really dirty." She grinned.

Fred groaned and laughed. "You're so kind."

"I'm being honest, now go." She paused. "Do you need help getting up?"

"No, I'm completely healed thanks to you," he said, swinging his legs off of the couch cushions as he sat up. He reached down and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Before I go, I just need to remind myself of the exact color of those eyes," he grinned. "I haven't seen them in so long."

Auden swatted him playfully and smiled. "They're brown, like mud." She scrunched up her nose.

"No, they're brown like chocolate," Fred said, standing up and heading for the stairs. "And I do love chocolate."

"You love anything that's edible," Auden said with a laugh. "Now hurry up and go get clean."

"You'll be here when I get back?" Fred pretended to look at her sternly.

"Wouldn't even dream of leaving," Auden said, flopping onto the couch.

While Fred was upstairs, Auden retrieved her schoolwork and attempted to get more of it done, but it was a lot more difficult now. Her brain was buzzing with excitement. _Fred's back, Fred's back, Fred's back_ her mind seemed to chant. She hardly dared to believe it.

Fred bounded into the room a little while later, dressed in clean clothes and his hair damp. He practically jumped onto the couch and grabbed Auden in a hug. She fell over sideways into the cushions, laughing.

"I'm all clean," Fred said into her neck.

"I noticed," she giggled. There was a pause as she rested her cheek on Fred's cool, damp hair. "Everyone's going to be so happy to see you. Especially George."

Fred sat up and his face was serious. "How's he doing?"

"Better," Auden said. "At first he wouldn't leave his room. He was silent and upset. He only left his room to eat, which even that he was barely doing. He wasn't sleeping either. He wouldn't let anyone in his room to talk to him and he barely said a word to anyone else. When he finally let me inside, I noticed he had covered the mirror with a blanket. It kind of broke my heart."

"Where is he now?" Fred asked.

"The shop," she answered.

"_Really?_" Fred looked surprised.

"Yeah, he wouldn't go in at first, but I convinced him to go back about three weeks after the war ended and you went missing. I helped him reorganize and clean it up. It was so hard for him, but at the same time, I think he was able to do it because part of him was hoping you'd come back to help him run it. Anyway, I've been helping him run it since it reopened. I had the day off today, though."

"Wow that worked out in our favor, then. If you hadn't been here, the house would've been empty when I came home."

"I know," she answered.

"I'm actually glad you're the first person I got to see," Fred whispered, reaching out and lightly running his fingers through her hair. "I like getting this alone time with you before I see everyone else."

Auden smiled. "I like it, too," she answered.

"Has George been living in the flat?" Fred asked, leaning back into the couch cushions.

"Yeah for the past week actually," Auden responded as she rested against Fred's side. "Everyone, including Katie, Lee, Hermione, Harry and I, take turns going to visit him so he's not alone too much, but he's been doing a lot better handling living in there alone. The first night, I don't think he slept much. He was dead tired at work the next day. He said he felt too alone to sleep. He also said it was too quiet without your snoring."

Fred pretended to be hurt. "I do not snore."

Auden smiled. "It was the first attempt at a joke that he made since you disappeared."

Fred's smile dropped and he looked upset. "It was hard for me, too, being away from everyone. I had to do that already with the Snatchers, but at least then I had you and George with me. This time it was just me alone. George and I have never been separated for that long before."

Auden took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You picked a good day to come home. Everyone's coming over for dinner tonight. Even Harry and Hermione."

"Did Hermione find her parents?"

Auden nodded. "She's living with them until July. Then, she'll come to stay here."

Fred nodded his head and looked around the living room. "Where's my mum?"

"Doing errands. She should be back any minute. She has to finish cooking the soup…that I was supposed to be stirring!" She grabbed the spoon from the coffee table, jumped up and ran to the kitchen, her eyes wide.

"Aha! Who's forgetting to stir the food now?" Fred exclaimed happily, following her into the kitchen.

"Oh quiet," Auden said, grabbing the spoon and pointing it at him.

"At least you did use the spoon for something. You used it to beat me up." He laughed and pushed himself up to sit on the counter next to the stove. "My mum's going to kill you if you've ruined her soup."

"I had a good reason, and it's not ruined," Auden said, inspecting the contents of the pot. Fred continued to laugh and she pretended to swat him with the spoon again. He grabbed it from her hand and jumped off the counter, running to the opposite end of the kitchen.

"Catch me if you can," he said, dancing around in a circle.

Auden squinted at him for a moment before darting towards him. He ran into the living room, around the couch, and then up the stairs, waving the spoon above his head all the while and laughing like an idiot. He ran into his room and slammed the door, just a second before Auden reached the room.

"Fred," she pounded on the door. "Not fair, let me in."

"Just a minute," Fred answered. His voice sounded like he was on the far side of the room.

Auden sighed and crossed her arms. After a moment, the door opened a crack and Fred peered out at her, his face wearing a huge grin.

"Where's the spoon?" she asked, holding out her hand.

"Gone," he said.

"What do you mean, 'gone'?" she asked. "If you buried it in your dirty clothes pile, so help me-,"

"Oh, it's not there," Fred grinned. "Come on, I'll show you." He opened the door and led her to the window. They stuck their heads out and Fred pointed towards the ground. The spoon was in the mud. It had landed straight up and was sticking out of the dirt like some strange flower.

"You threw it out the window?" Auden didn't know whether to laugh or be shocked.

"I did," Fred grinned.

Auden opened her mouth to retaliate, but there was a familiar popping noise from the yard. Both of them turned back to the window. Mrs. Weasley was home and she was walking towards the door, her arms laden with bags.

Fred grinned again. "This should be fun," he said, charging down the stairs. Auden followed him and stopped in the front doorway as Fred raced across the lawn to his mother. "Let me help you with those, mum," he said, taking a few bags.

"Why, thank you, George," she said. "You're home early and you seem particularly happy today. Things going well at the shop?"

"Oh yes," Fred nodded.

"Hello Auden dear, how's your school work going?" Mrs. Weasley asked, passing Auden in the doorway.

"Really well," she said as Fred passed her and winked.

Mrs. Weasley placed the bags on the counter and looked into the soup pot. "Did you forget to stir this, Auden dear?"

"Er, sorry, I got distracted."

Fred smirked at Auden from where he was leaning against the counter. Auden stuck her tongue out at him.

"No matter," Mrs. Weasley said. She flashed a smile at Auden over her shoulder. "You were busy with your school work. School is more important. Now, where's the spoon?"

"You might want to ask your son that question," Auden answered, shooting Fred a look.

"George?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Fred pushed himself off the counter and grinned. "Honestly woman, you call yourself my mother." With that, he pushed away his hair, showing his completely intact right ear. "Mum, it's me, Fred."

* * *

**A/N: Fred's back! It's definitely a relief that he's back where he belongs and he's alive. There was no way I could possibly kill him. **

**The song I used for the chapter title is **_**I Need You **_**by LeAnn Rimes. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23: It Starts In My Toes

Mrs. Weasley gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. She took a few steps backwards and bumped into the counter. "Fred?" She tore her eyes away from her son and looked at Auden, who nodded, a grin spreading over her face.

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley cried, flinging herself at him and starting to sob into his neck.

"Hello, Mum," Fred said, rubbing her back.

She let go of him and patted his face, tears of joy still leaking from her eyes. "How did you ever get home?"

Fred retold his story to his mother and she gasped in horror at all the appropriate moments. When he finished, she hugged him tightly again. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered.

"From what I hear, everyone thought I was dead," Fred grinned.

"We did not!" Mrs. Weasley protested, turning back to the stove.

Fred shrugged and leaned against the counter again. "That smells delicious."

"Yes, well, you haven't eaten properly in over a month. I'll make extra and then I'll even make something else. I'll make whatever you want, Fred dear."

"Well if you insist," Fred smirked.

"Oh, and for dessert, I'll make an apple pie," Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands.

Fred shrugged again. "Well, I'm certainly not going to complain."

Auden laughed and rolled her eyes as Fred looked at her and sent her another wink.

"You must be starving, Fred dear," Mrs. Weasley rushed around the kitchen frantically. "But where did that spoon go?" She stopped and put her hands on her hips.

"Er, it's outside," Fred confessed.

"Why is it out there?"

"Accident," Fred said.

Mrs. Weasley sighed and summoned it with her wand. It flew through the open window, one end covered in dirt. She cleaned it with her wand and put it down on the counter. She turned and smiled at Fred.

"Mum, you keep looking at me like that," Fred said. "It's creepy."

"I'm just so glad you're home where you belong," she said, reaching out and squeezing him in another death grip of a hug.

"Help," Fred mouthed to Auden, patting his mother's arm.

Auden just laughed and shook her head. She hadn't seen Mrs. Weasley this happy in weeks. Ever since Fred had disappeared, a little piece of everyone had almost disappeared with him. But now that he was back, things could return to normal again.

"Wait until your father gets home, and your brothers and Ginny, and Fleur," Mrs. Weasley said, releasing Fred. "That should be your father now," she added, as a popping sound came from outside. Mrs. Weasley craned her neck to try to see. "Yes, it's your father and Auden's dad."

"Want to come inside?" Mr. Weasley's voice trailed in through the door that he had just halfway opened. He was looking over his shoulder at Auden's dad.

"Sure, why not?"

"Arthur, Arthur, guess who's here?" Mrs. Weasley catapulted herself at her husband and laughed as she hugged him.

"Er, who?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Fred!" she answered.

"Fred?" Auden's dad asked, raising his eyebrows. "But how-?"

"He's in the kitchen with Auden. He can explain it to you."

Auden backed up against the wall to get out of the way as Mr. Weasley and her dad entered the kitchen and noticed Fred standing against the counter.

Mr. Weasley blinked a few times before running at Fred and grabbing him in a hug. Auden's dad hugged Fred too, looking dumbstruck. When he finally let go of Fred, he turned to Auden.

"Honey, I'm so sorry for what I said to you a few weeks ago. I-,"

"Dad, it's okay," Auden whispered, shaking her head.

"No, it's not," he answered, hugging her tightly. "I tried to tell you Fred wasn't coming back."

"Well, I didn't completely believe you anyway," Auden smirked.

Her dad laughed and let go of her. He turned back to Mrs. Weasley and Fred. "I'm going to go get my wife and Ben. They'll be so glad to see you, Fred!"

"What happened between the two of you?" Fred asked, his voice low as he walked over to stand next to Auden.

"He tried to tell me you were dead. He was a little cross with me." She sighed. "I can see his point. He was concerned about me, but it was still hard."

Before Fred could answer, Auden's dad had returned with Ben and Auden's mother, and after that, everyone started showing up at once. Ginny and Harry were the next to arrive, followed by Hermione, Ron, Percy and Bill and Fleur. Ginny burst into tears when she saw her brother, and Hermione and Fleur let out shrieks of happiness. Even Percy's eyes were watery as he hugged Fred. Percy had felt the guiltiest about Fred's disappearance since he had been right there when it happened. Auden barely had time to even look at Fred with all of the commotion and excitement. Everyone was crowded into the kitchen as if they didn't want to let Fred out of their sight. Mrs. Weasley passed out bottles of butterbeer and firewhiskey and they all stood around laughing and talking as they waited for George.

"I can't wait for him to get here," Auden said as she glanced up at Fred, a smile creeping over her face.

"I've really missed him," Fred said, staring down into his firewhiskey. "It wasn't the same being without him. It was horrible, actually."

Auden reached out and squeezed his hand. "Well, you're back now and I hope you'll never have to be separated a day in your life again."

Fred looked at her and grinned. "Thanks, Aud," he whispered before leaning down and giving her a quick kiss.

Mrs. Weasley interrupted everyone's chattering voices as she stood on her tiptoes to try and get a glimpse of the yard and yelled, "I think that's George now."

Auden looked up at Fred and his mood brightened even more, if that were possible, at the mention of his twin coming home. She giggled and squeezed his hand tighter.

The kitchen fell silent as the front door opened. It was Fleur who broke the silence since she was standing the closest to the open door leading to the living room. "'Ello, George. 'Ow are you?"

"Fine, but I'm exhausted," he answered from the other room. "Is Auden in here? I have to tell her that I've changed my mind about giving her days off. I need all the help I can get." His voice was joking, but he still sounded exhausted. Auden and Fred looked at each other and smiled. Auden's stomach was dancing with excitement. She wished George would hurry up and come into the kitchen.

"I do not theenk you weel need Auden to come help you anymore," Fleur said, smiling.

"Why?" George's voice was closer to the door this time. The people in the kitchen moved out of the way so that George could come inside the room. His eyes immediately found Fred, standing across the kitchen from him, drinking firewhiskey and leaning against the counter as if he had never left.

George's eyes grew wide and he stared at Fred unblinkingly.

"You know, George," Fred said, putting his drink down, "if you don't blink, your eyes will dry out and run out of eye saliva."

"Eyes don't have saliva," Ron snorted.

"Well, what's it called then?" Fred asked, looking at Ron with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know, but it's not saliva," Ron answered. "Ask Hermione what it is."

"Actually, it's-" Hermione began.

"It doesn't matter," Fred waved his hand around. "Whatever the moisture in your eye is called, George, you will run out of it."

George slowly blinked a few times.

"There you go, Georgie," Fred said with a grin and a wink.

George broke into an identical grin and hurtled over an empty chair to get to Fred. They hugged each other and Mrs. Weasley broke into tears again. This time, Auden found a lump forming in her own throat and she bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She hadn't seen George smile like that in over a month and she had missed it terribly. He and Fred had the greatest relationship and she was glad they were reunited again.

Suddenly, George broke away from Fred and grabbed Auden into a hug, spinning her around. She let out a watery laugh and tried not to spill her firewhiskey. Finally, he set her down and turned back to Fred. "How'd you get here?" he asked breathlessly, still grinning from ear to ear.

"He can tell everyone the story at dinner," Mrs. Weasley said. "Everyone head outside. There's more room out there and we'll be less crowded. I'll bring dinner out shortly."

Everyone immediately moved to the tables that had been set up outside and took their seats. It was as if Fred had really never left at all. The atmosphere had instantly returned to the way it had been before, with everyone talking and laughing. Once everyone was eating, Fred began to recount his story once again for the whole family. He told them everything, including how Auden had healed all of his injuries.

"Maybe you should be a Healer, Aud," her dad joked. "He looks completely healthy."

"Just a little underfed," Mrs. Weasley added.

"It was nothing, really," Auden blushed. "Luckily they were only minor injuries."

After dinner was finished and all the dishes were cleared, they all went back to the living room where Mrs. Weasley turned on the radio and Mr. Weasley lit a fire for a little extra light, despite the fact that it was summer. He even cast a charm over it so it wouldn't radiate any heat.

Auden sat on the floor, leaning up against the couch. Fred sat next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder and intertwined her fingers with his.

"I'm glad you're home," she whispered, the firelight flickering across their faces.

"So am I," he answered, kissing the top of her head.

As the night wore on, everyone went home or upstairs to sleep one by one and the living room drained of people until it was just Auden and Fred sitting in front of the dwindling fire.

They were silent for a few minutes, just staring at the flames. Finally, Fred spoke. "Auden?"

"Mm?" Auden tore her eyes away from the flames to look at Fred.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, ask away," she answered, staring at his profile in the dim light.

"You told me all about George's behavior while I was gone, but what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just want to know how you dealt with it, I guess. I mean, I caused hurt to all of you-,"

"No, you didn't," Auden whispered. She tightened her grip on his hand. "It wasn't your fault. The wall had just blown up and you grabbed the first thing you could. You didn't know it was a Disapparating Death Eater."

"Yeah, but I couldn't get in contact with you or anything."

"Exactly, you couldn't. There was no way for you to. You're back now, though. You had pretty minor injuries compared to what could have happened, and most importantly you're alive."

"I know," Fred whispered. "But you said your dad was concerned about you and that worries me."

"If you really want to know, I did okay, considering I didn't know what had happened to you and everyone was slowly slipping into the mentality that you were dead. I had nightmares quite a few times, mainly the first few days after it happened, so naturally I wasn't sleeping well. I didn't eat very much either. That's why my dad was concerned. I felt alone, too. I tried to spend time, over here, but it was strange. Your family was quiet and the house felt empty, and George was the most silent out of everyone. I felt that I needed to be strong for him, so on the last day of the search, I finally got him to at least open his door, but that's when I broke down crying." It was her turn to stare back into the fire as Fred stared at her profile. She could feel his eyes on her but she continued.

"I hadn't actually cried up until then," she said. "I don't know why. I think it's because I had wanted to believe you were still alive and I still kind of did, but it was hard with everyone else starting to think otherwise. My dad bluntly told me you weren't coming home. I felt so lost. You have no idea how quiet this house was without you. It was almost scary. _I _was scared. I was scared of what was happening to me. I was scared of what was happening to your family. I was scared of what might have happened to _you_."

Fred gave a wry chuckle and shook his head. "Do you want to know what I was afraid of when I was gone? Besides what they were going to do to me, I mean."

Auden nodded and looked back up at him.

"Well, firstly, I was afraid of what had happened to you during the end of the battle. I missed the last bit of it, and I hadn't seen you since we had been guarding the secret passageway. I hadn't seen George either, or Ginny, or my parents. I was afraid of what I would find if and when I came home."

Auden gave his hand a squeeze.

"That's not all," Fred continued.

"No?" she asked.

Fred shook his head. "I was afraid," he took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, "that if you were alive, then you would find someone else. That you actually would start to believe I was gone forever and then you would move on and find another guy."

The whole concept that Fred would even worry about that almost made Auden want to cry. "No, never," she whispered.

Fred gave another weak chuckle. "You say that now, but think about it. What if I had died? What would you have done? Stayed alone forever?"

"Yes," Auden replied, staring at him intently.

Fred cracked a small smile. "I appreciate that, but I know you would have moved on. I was just scared to see that happen if I survived everything and found my way home. At least if I were really dead I wouldn't have to watch you be with another guy."

Tears were welling up in Auden's eyes. "Fred, I love you," she whispered. "I guess I can't really tell you what would have happened ten years from now if you had died, but I can tell you that in the five weeks you were gone, I never thought once about moving on or any other guy. I only thought about you."

The corner of Fred's mouth turned up slightly. "Yeah?" he asked.

She nodded. "You took a piece of all of us with you when you left," she told him, "but I really wanted to believe you'd come back and put us all back together again. And you did." She gave him a small smile. "And I just want you to know that if you had died, I would have never been the same. If I moved on..." She trailed off and shook her head. "I don't think anything could ever compare to how I feel about you."

Fred smiled wider and reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. He leaned in closer, slowly pressing his lips against hers. Auden kissed him back and wound her arms around his neck. It had been weeks since she had kissed Fred, and her head was buzzing with happiness and excitement at finally being able to kiss him again. Before she knew it, she was lying on her back on the floor and Fred was on top of her. He was kissing her more roughly now and her arms were still around his neck.

"Sorry, is this…too much?" Fred whispered, breaking the kiss.

"No," she whispered back, shaking her head frantically. Fred laughed quietly and went back to kissing her.

She moved her arms from around his neck and let her hands trail over his shoulders and down his chest. Fred let out a small groan. He was kissing her neck now and his fingertips were lightly gliding over the skin on her stomach and hips. Her skin tingled at the touch.

"If you want to stop, let me know," Fred whispered, putting a hand flat on the ground near her shoulder to prop himself up.

Auden paused and took a deep breath. "No," she whispered, "keep going."

"Are you sure?" Fred's eyes were concerned, but she could see that he wanted this, and Auden realized that she did too.

"I'm sure," she whispered, her heart racing.

Fred's hands were sliding further up her shirt and her stomach was fluttering with a nervous, excited feeling.

"Hopefully nobody comes downstairs," she whispered, giggling like a toddler as Fred continued to kiss her neck.

"You wanted to go on with this," Fred murmured.

"So did you, I could tell," she whispered back.

"Mm," Fred agreed, moving back to kiss her lips.

"What happens if someone does come downstairs?" she asked.

"We run," he answered, the words coming easily. "Now will you shut up already?" He grinned and made sure she shut up by kissing her again. His hands were on the buttons of her jeans and he carefully unbuttoned them and slid them down.

"Your turn," she whispered, twirling a bit of his shirt material in her hands.

Wordlessly, Fred tugged his shirt off and continued kissing her, moving to her neck again. Auden's heart was pounding. She figured that there was no turning back now, but she didn't really mind.

* * *

Sunlight shone through the Burrow's living room window in bright streaks, warming Auden's face and waking her up. It was a second before she remembered what exactly had happened the night before and when she did remember, she sat up immediately.

Fred was still sleeping, lying right next to her. They had fallen asleep under the blanket they had pulled off the couch and Fred's arm had been draped across her stomach, but it had dropped to her lap when she sat up. Their clothes were lying a few feet away. She smiled as she watched him sleep. His breathing was deep and even and his mouth was slightly open.

She grabbed his wrist and lifted it up to her face to inspect the time. It was ten minutes to eight, and Mrs. Weasley always got up and came downstairs to make breakfast exactly at eight, like clockwork. That gave them ten minutes to make it look like nothing had happened. Auden groaned internally. It would take forever to wake Fred up.

Just as she was about to poke Fred's arm, Auden heard Mrs. Weasley coming down the stairs, her slippers smacking against each wooden step. Auden gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Fred, please wake up," she hissed. "Your mum is coming!"

"So?" he mumbled.

"So, open your eyes and see where we are," she whispered.

Slowly, Fred opened his eyes and grinned up at her. Then his eyes widened as he fully registered the scene, including the sound of Mrs. Weasley's slippers, growing louder with every step. He shot up and looked at her in horror.

"Hurry, stand up," he said, pulling her to her feet. She sprang into action, quickly grabbing the clothes before Fred wrapped the blanket around them. They were facing each other and the blanket enveloped them in a strange looking cocoon. They waddled to the only place where they could go: the front door.

"That was close," Fred exhaled, peering through the window at Mrs. Weasley as she went into the kitchen.

"Thank goodness there aren't any houses besides yours and mine for another mile or two," Auden pointed out, looking around. They were still wrapped in the blanket, and undoubtedly looked very odd.

"Let's go to the broom shed and get a broom," Fred said, "then we can fly up to my room-,"

"Percy's room," Auden corrected. "Or Bill's room."

"Why?" Fred asked.

"George is in your room," Auden answered.

"Right, sometimes you know, I just forget he's there."

"I'm sure," Auden snorted. "Let's go."

They waddled towards the broom shed and Fred managed to grab a broom while Auden held the blanket around them.

"Now how are we going to get on?" Auden asked.

"Yeah, we have an issue there," Fred said, biting his lip. "Ok, turn around so we're both facing the same way."

Auden did as he said and they managed to somehow swing their legs over the broom. It felt like they were some kind of four legged monster.

"I now have an appreciation for spiders and other insects, having to survive with so many legs," Fred said, doing a little hop, as he finished mounting the broom.

"You always liked insects," Auden argued. "You and George used to dig them up all the time and the only reason you didn't have a collection is because your mum would turn you into one if you did."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Fred laughed.

They awkwardly flew up to Percy's bedroom window and Fred slid the window open. They toppled inside and leaned the broom against the wall.

"That was fun," Fred said. "Every last bit." He winked at Auden as he pulled on his shirt.

Auden let out a giggle as she collected her own clothes. Just as they finished, Mrs. Weasley yelled up the stairs that breakfast was ready.

"Won't she notice we're in the same clothes from yesterday?" Auden realized suddenly as they walked down the stairs.

Fred shrugged. "We'll just tell her that we fell asleep on the living room floor and we just got back from returning the blankets. It's not really a lie; it's just not the whole truth."

"I forgot how good you were at this kind of stuff," Auden answered, leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek.

"I am pretty good aren't I?" Fred smirked.

"Always the modest one," Auden giggled, taking his hand as they got to the bottom of the steps.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so I didn't really know how much I could write because of the rating, but I know a few people were waiting for them to do it, so there it is haha. I didn't feel like changing the rating and like I said, I wasn't exactly sure what I could write with the rating I have, so I did my best.**

**Also, the lyrics in the chapter title are from the song ****_Bubbly_****, by Colbie Caillat**


	24. Chapter 24: Crazy Love

That night, Auden was sitting in her own house, eating dinner with her family. They had practically dragged her away from Fred that afternoon saying that they were going to eat dinner "as a family." Auden argued that the Weasley's basically were family, but her parents clarified.

"We mean just the four of us," her father said.

Halfway through dinner, Ben cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him. "Do you remember last summer when I was writing to a girl named Marnie?"

"Yeah!" Auden exclaimed, pointing her fork at him. "It was when I had my amnesia. I think I told Fred that I hoped you were going to get married."

Ben grinned and his cheeks turned pink. "Well, we aren't getting married, but she is coming to stay for a little while. I'm not sure how long yet, but at least until Christmas."

"That sounds exciting!" Mrs. Parker exclaimed.

"We don't really have that much extra room," Mr. Parker looked concerned.

"That's the other thing I wanted to say," Ben said. "I got my own little place to live in while I'm here. You know, I am about to turn 22 next month and I can't keep living here every time I come home. It isn't fair to you guys."

"Yes it is," Auden answered, sticking a forkful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

"No it's not," Ben laughed, ruffling her hair.

"Where is this place?" Mrs. Parker asked.

"In London, not that far," Ben said. "This way Marnie can just stay with me there so it won't be too much trouble for all of you. And I'll bring her over to meet you and the Weasleys of course. She can't wait to meet everyone. I think you'll get along well with her, Aud."

Auden smiled. "I can't wait to meet her. When does she get here?"

"Next week," Ben answered. "I move into the flat the day before she gets here."

"I'm glad my son isn't one of those people who wait until the very last minute to do something," Mrs. Parker said sarcastically.

Ben shrugged. "Sorry," he said with a grin.

"How come you've been staying here for so long anyway?" Auden asked. "Not that I mind, but you've been back for a year already. What about work?"

"I'll be able to go back without many issues," Ben said, shrugging. "But one things been turning into another. First it was your amnesia, Aud, and then it was Bill's wedding and the war and I didn't want to leave all of you."

"Are you going to go back now that the war's over?" Auden asked, standing up to clear her dish.

"I'll probably make arrangements soon," Ben answered, looking up at her. "Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No," Auden giggled, turning around to look at him as she leaned against the counter. "I just think you should know that we're all fine now. You don't have to worry. I don't have amnesia anymore and I'm not being held by Snatchers. Fred's back and everyone's happy. The war _is_ over. We're all safe."

"I know," Ben said with a smile.

"But just so you know," Auden continued, smiling back. "I do like having you home."

Ben shrugged and grinned wider. "Hey, someone's got to help dad remind Fred to stay five feet away from you at all times."

Mr. Parker laughed and even Auden managed to giggle and somehow hide the blush that was spreading over her cheeks as the thought of the night before came rushing back. Even if the five feet rule was mostly a joke, Fred and Auden couldn't have possibly broken it any more than they had the night before.

"What about four feet?" she managed to joke.

"No, it's non-negotiable," her father said, laughing some more.

"Two and a half?" Auden asked.

"Three," Ben piped up.

"Zero," Auden giggled.

"Definitely not," her father and brother said together.

Auden laughed before heading for the kitchen doorway. When she reached it, she turned around and leaned against the doorframe. "Thanks for being so protective, but Fred's honestly the last person you'd ever have to protect me from. I hope you know that. He's really good to me."

"We know," Ben said with a nod. He smiled and leaned back in his chair. "But if he makes one wrong move..."

"He won't," Auden giggled. She rolled her eyes, left the room and headed up the stairs. Her dad and brother's protectiveness was somewhat annoying, but for the most part it was sweet and she knew they were only doing their job. But she had also meant what she said. Fred was the last person on the planet who would ever dream of hurting her and she loved him for it.

* * *

"So you met her already?" Fred asked as he and Auden sat in his backyard, sprawled out on the lawn. It was a week after Ben had moved out and Marnie had arrived.

"Yeah," Auden answered. "The day she got here. I couldn't wait, so I Apparated over to Ben's new flat so that I could wait with him for her to get there."

"And…?" Fred asked, prompting her. They were lying in an "L" shape, with Auden's head on Fred's chest. He was lightly playing with her hair.

"I like her. She's really friendly. Right off the bat we got to talking and she's really easy to talk to. Ben went to go get ready to go home to meet mum and dad and she and I just sat on the couch and talked."

"About what?" Fred asked.

"Lots of stuff. Ben had told her a lot about me and she knew about my amnesia, so we talked about that. We talked about dragons and her work in Romania, and we talked about school."

"Did you talk about me?" Fred asked.

"Hmm, I might have mentioned something." Auden tapped her chin in mock thought.

Fred laughed and gave her hair a playful tug. "When's Ben going to bring her over to meet the unforgettable Weasley family?"

"Today, I think," Auden answered, turning her head to look at Fred.

"I hope he warned her about us," Fred laughed. "All of us at once can be a little overwhelming. There's mum, who will always claim that you're underfed and need food, then there's Ginny, who asks a million questions a minute, Percy, who always uses words that nobody ever uses in daily conversation—,"

"And then there's you and George who can't go five minutes without making something blow up or turn green and grow fur."

"Exactly." Fred tapped her nose. "So the dinner with your parents went well?"

"Yeah, they acted all on their best behavior at first but they really loosened up after a while."

"To the point where they would've allowed a food fight?" Fred asked.

"No not that much," Auden said. "But enough so that Marnie could see our real family. You know how we are."

"Crazy," Fred said. "I swear, those Parkers are all mental."

Auden swatted him. "Not as much as those Weasleys."

"True," Fred answered with a laugh.

The back door creaked open and Ginny stood there, her hair like flames in the bright sun. "Hey, come inside!" she yelled. "Ben's here with Marnie!"

"I guess we should go," Fred said, as they sat up. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Auden went to step away, but he wouldn't let go of her hand. Instead, he pulled her towards him and gently kissed her.

A breeze ruffled Auden's hair and the skirt of her sundress blew around her knees. The air smelled like summer and the temperature wasn't too hot or too cold; just the way Auden liked it. It was perfect, and things had been perfect ever since Fred had come home.

She and Fred began walking back to the house, loosely holding hands the whole way. When they got inside, they saw the entire Weasley family crowded around Marnie, who was standing in the living room next to Ben. She was average height, with very light brown hair made almost blonde in some places from the sun. Her eyes were a sparkling blue and her whole body was covered in freckles, unlike the Weasleys who had just a sprinkling across their noses and cheeks.

"Hello," she stuck her hand out towards Mrs. Weasley who was rushing forward. "Ben's told me a lot about you."

"Hello dear!" Mrs. Weasley ignored Marnie's hand and hugged her.

"Three, two, one," Fred counting, holding up three fingers and putting one down each time he counted.

"You look hungry!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, oblivious to Fred's comment as she focused excitedly on Marnie. "Do you want lunch? I was just about to cook something."

"Oh, don't go through any trouble," Ben said. He was holding onto Marnie's hand and tracing circles with his thumb.

"It's no trouble at all!" Mrs. Weasley waved her hand dismissively as she walked back to the kitchen. She was positively beaming and Auden almost wanted to laugh. Ben wasn't even her own son, but she thought of him as one, so him bringing home a girl was so exciting for her and the fact that everyone was so enthusiastic to meet her brother's girlfriend made Auden happy.

"Hi, I'm Arthur Weasley," Mr. Weasley said, shaking Marnie's hand. "My son is also working in Romania. You've probably met him. He and Ben are very good friends."

"Yeah, Charlie, right?" Marnie laughed. "He's great. He's a lot of laughs, but he takes work very seriously. He mentioned something about his entire family having red hair, something that Ben said, too, and now I see they weren't kidding!" She surveyed the room full of red heads. "Auden, Ben and I are they only ones left out."

Auden laughed and made a mock sad face.

"We could always dye your hair if you wanted," George grinned. "Preferably in your sleep. That would make it funnier."

"Ah, George, right?" Marnie grinned.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"Well, Auden told me she's dating Fred, so unless you're playing a prank trying to purposely confuse me, then you're George." Marnie gestured to Auden and Fred's intertwined hands.

George looked at his brother in disbelief. "Why didn't we think of that? Purposely confusing her?"

"Because it isn't very nice," Ginny said, crossing her arms. "I'm Ginny," she said to Marnie.

"What a pretty name," Marnie commented as Ginny smiled.

"It's short for Ginevra, but if anyone calls me that, I'll hex them."

"Says the girl who just told us off for discussing a harmless prank," George snorted.

"I didn't say I'd hex _her_ specifically, though," Ginny said. "There's a difference."

"Ah, but you implied it. If she were to call you Ginevra, then you would hex her," George countered.

Marnie was laughing. "I'm guessing this is normal?"

Ben nodded. "Definitely. You'd better get used to it now. It can get pretty chaotic around here."

Marnie smiled. "I like chaos."

"So do I," Ben answered, grinning back and kissing Marnie's cheek.

"You do work with dragons," Ron said.

"Exactly," Marnie answered, nodding her head. "Ben's really told me a lot about you guys. He said that you were pretty much his second family."

"It's true," Mr. Weasley said. "You basically have to meet the parents all over again." He smiled warmly and threw an arm around Ben.

Marnie was an instant hit with everyone. She knew the right things to say at all the right times and she got along with everyone. She nodded with interest when Percy began talking her ear off, she laughed at Fred and George's jokes, talked about France with Fleur, and Egypt with Bill. She complimented Mrs. Weasley on her food, and asked Mr. Weasley all about his job at the Ministry.

"She's great, Ben," Auden whispered, elbowing her brother at the table while they were eating.

"I know," Ben blushed.

Auden smiled. "All grown up," she whispered.

"Hey, I'm older than you are," he hissed back.

"Not something to brag about. You'll get white hair first," Auden shrugged. "Your eyesight will go before mine does, and your hearing too."

"Okay, that's enough," Ben said, throwing his napkin at her.

"Oi," Fred said in a joking tone, "don't throw things at my girlfriend. That's my job." With that he threw his own napkin at Auden as Ben almost fell over from laughter.

"You two are such jerks," Auden muttered, swatting both of them. Out of nowhere, another napkin suddenly hit her in the face. Auden turned towards the culprit.

"Hey, this is fun," Marnie was giggling.

"Marnie, no," Auden groaned. "You're supposed to side with me."

"No, she has to side with me. I'm her boyfriend." Ben gave Marnie a peck on the cheek.

Auden threw a napkin at them this time. "Get a room."

"Hey, I don't tell you and Fred to get a room. I always politely ignore your signs of affection," Ben told her.

"You're right, it's usually Ron telling us to get a room," Auden said, narrowing her eyes at Ron.

"Hey, I've been better about it," Ron held up his hands.

"Yeah, ever since I teased you about Lav Lav." Auden snorted as Ron made a grossed out face. He still couldn't stand talking about the entire period of his life when he dated Lavender. It was as if he wanted to pretend it had never happened, but much to his disappointment, nobody else was going to let that happen.

"It still doesn't erase the fact that he interrupted," Ben said. "Quite rude if you ask me."

"He interrupts _everyone_," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"Let's get him," George said, picking up his napkin. Everyone, including Percy, Bill, Fleur, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley picked up theirs, too.

"You wouldn't," Ron said, leaning back confidently in his chair.

"We would," Fred smirked. "Ready, aim…fire!"

Ron held his arms in front of his face as ten napkins flew towards him. One landed right on his head.

"Ron, you've got something on your head, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to hold back laughter as she stood up to clear the plates.

Ron tried to throw the napkin on his head back at the twins, but Bill grabbed it, unfolded it, and placed it back on Ron's head. "What a cute little bonnet," he said.

"Wait," Mrs. Weasley said, laughing for real now. "I've got to get a picture of that."

"Mum, no," Ron reached up to grab the napkin, but Bill grabbed his arms and pinned them down as Mrs. Weasley ran to get the camera.

Auden was leaning on Fred's shoulder and they were both shaking with laughter. The whole table was, for that matter.

"Put these on too, Ron," Percy took off his glasses and slid them onto Ron.

"Hermione weel love theez look on you," Fleur said.

"We'll have to send her a copy of the picture!" Mrs. Weasley said, returning to the kitchen.

"No, definitely not," Ron said firmly.

"Definitely yes," Ben said as the camera flash went off.

Ron crossed his arms and pouted as Auden giggled. She knew he was only a little bit upset. Besides, it was moments like this that, since the war, everyone had learned to never take for granted.

"Does this make you feel better, Ron?" Auden asked, unfolding her own napkin and putting it on her head.

Everyone followed Auden's lead and put their napkins on their heads.

"Oh, everyone squish together," Mrs. Weasley said, holding up the camera again.

"You need to be in it too, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, gesturing to her as everyone crowded together at one end of the table.

Mrs. Weasley set the camera to go off on its own before charming it to hover in the air in front of them. She rushed over beside Mr. Weasley and he placed a napkin on her head.

"Smile!" she said as the camera flash went off. "Oh, I can't wait to get these developed!"

Auden laughed. "Make sure you frame the one of Ron."

"You could hang it right over the fireplace, for the entire world to see," Fred said, draping his arm over Auden's chair.

"Git," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm still sending one to Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said. "Or you can give it to her yourself."

"Never," Ron said, turning a bright pink.

"So," Mr. Weasley turned to Marnie, "did you have more fun meeting us or Ben's parents? It's okay if you say us, I won't tell."

Marnie laughed. "You're both lovely families." She took Ben's hand and smiled up at him. "I'm glad I got to meet all of the important people in Ben's life."

"And you don't want to run for the hills?" Ben asked. "You can if you want, I won't stop you. Although, I will be very sad." He made a sad face.

"I'm definitely not running for the hills," Marnie said. "Like I said, I like chaos."

"Then you've come to the right place," Mrs. Weasley said with a warm smile.

* * *

**A/N: I know this chapter focuses a lot on Ben's girlfriend, but I felt like he needed someone and I just wanted to develop her character a little bit more instead of having her be some random girl he was writing to so I hope everyone likes it.**

**The song I used for this chapter is **_**Crazy Love**_** by Michael Buble. **


	25. Chapter 25: Two Is Better Than One

"Would you do me a favor?" Ben asked Auden the second he Apparated into her bedroom.

"Hello to you too," she answered, not looking up from her book. She was curled up on her bed, engrossed in what she was reading and she hadn't jumped or looked up when Ben appeared beside her. She had grown so accustomed to the twins Apparating unexpectedly when they were seventeen that the popping sound rarely startled her anymore.

It was late November. Auden, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all gone back to take their NEWTs and passed with flying colors. Fred had taken Auden out for dinner the day she got her scores back to celebrate. It was the first date they'd had in a while and Auden had thoroughly enjoyed herself.

Now, Harry and Ron were going for their Auror training and also working with Kingsley so that they could work for the Auror department at the Ministry. As for Hermione, she was working in the Magical Law Enforcement office and had rarely been seen by anyone due to the amounts of work she had. She had stayed at the Weasley's for a month in the summer, but then returned to her parent's house in the fall and she was currently looking for a flat of her own.

Ginny was back at Hogwarts for her last year. She was considering joining the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team after she left, since they had expressed an interest in her, but she had also seemed interested in journalism, just like Auden, in case the Quidditch thing didn't work out.

Auden had gotten a job at the Daily Prophet working in the commitments section, writing articles announcing the engagements of young witches and wizards. It was a lot of fun and much better than writing obituaries.

"It's an important favor," Ben said now, sitting down on her bed.

"What is it?" she asked, flipping a page of her book.

"Can you hang out with Marnie today? I need to run errands with Bill."

"Why don't you bring Marnie with you?" Auden asked.

"Because I can't," Ben said impatiently.

"Okay, I'll go hang out with her, but, if you don't mind my asking, isn't she old enough to stay home alone?" Auden put down her book and stood up.

"Yeah, but it'd be nice if she had some company," Ben commented. "I know you were probably going to spend time with Fred tonight after he gets out of work, but I should be back by then and if not he can come hang out with you."

Auden nodded and stretched her arms above her head. "Okay."

"Thanks for doing this," Ben grinned at her.

"No problem. So, are you going back to Romania together after Christmas or what?"

"No, we're going back next summer, after the wedding."

"What wedding?" Auden asked.

"My wedding," Ben said, failing to hide his grin. "I wasn't going to tell anyone until after I proposed, but yeah, I'm going to ask Marnie to marry me next week. That's where I'm going today; to pick out a ring."

Auden's mouth fell open and a second later she was screaming and jumping up and down. Her brother and Marnie were going to get married! She had wanted this for a while, even before she met Marnie, but actually meeting the girl her brother had feelings for had only made Auden want them to get married even more.

"Shush, not so loud," Ben said, grabbing her and putting a hand over her mouth. "I want this to be a surprise for mum and dad. You were supposed to find out at the same time as them but that didn't work out."

"Hey it's not like I forced it out of you," Auden shrugged.

"No, but you asked me when I was going back and what was I supposed to say?"

"You could have made something up."

Ben shrugged. "It's okay. I'm kind of glad you know, but no telling mum and dad okay?"

"Can I tell Fred?" Auden asked.

"You know he's going to tell his entire family," Ben sighed. "And they might tell Mum and Dad."

"He won't. I'll make him be quiet," Auden promised.

"Okay," Ben nodded. "But don't say anything to anyone else. Promise?"

"I promise," Auden answered, her face serious, before she broke into a grin and hugged her brother. "You're going to get married!"

"If she says yes," Ben said.

"Oh, she'll say yes," Auden said. "I'm sure of it."

"I hope so, now go keep her company, I have to get busy looking for rings."

"Pick her out a really cute one that's really shiny and don't they do engravings on them now, too? You could—,"

"Auden, go," Ben said, laughing.

"Fine," she said, wrinkling her nose for a second before smiling and Disapparating, arriving a second later in Ben's flat. "Hello?" she asked.

"Auden!" Marnie said, coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "I hope Ben didn't force you to come. You really didn't have to; I can take care of myself."

Auden laughed. "I would have come anyway. I like hanging out with you."

"I like hanging out with you, too! I was just making lunch. Do you want something?"

"Sure, but I can make it myself-,"

"No, you sit," Marnie led the way into the kitchen and pointed to a chair at the table. "What would you like? I made myself a sandwich, but we have other things too."

"A sandwich is fine," Auden said, sitting down in a chair and propping her head up on her hand.

"What kind?"

"Surprise me." Auden grinned.

Marnie smiled back and got to work. "So how's work going?"

"Good," she replied. Suddenly, she realized that she might get to write about her brother's engagement. She wondered if the job would go to someone else, though, since Ben was family which might lead to her article to be considered biased. Maybe she could try to make sure that she did write the article. That would be perfect. She really wanted to and besides, she knew her brother best out of all the other writers at the paper. She could really make it perfect, which was exactly what Ben and Marnie deserved.

"What's that look on your face for?" Marnie giggled, glancing at Auden over her shoulder.

"What look?"

"You looked really excited, but then you looked as if you were doing some serious thinking."

"Oh, no, I was just thinking about the next article that I have to write," Auden shrugged.

"Oh, for who?" Marnie asked. "Anyone I know?"

"Probably not," Auden shrugged again, trying to keep a straight face.

"Auden, my parents don't live far from here. I lived in the area until I was nine before my family started moving around. I'm not completely out of touch," Marnie laughed.

Auden smiled. "Still…It's nobody. I'm not even quite sure _who_ I'll be assigned yet, but things float around. You know how it is. But you'll find out who it is soon enough anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"When the article comes out," Auden answered, as Marnie set her sandwich in front of her and took the seat opposite Auden.

"Okay, I'll have to make sure to read it to find out who this mystery couple is," Marnie wiggled her eyebrows and Auden just smiled. "So, where's Fred?" Marnie asked as they ate. "Working?"

"Yeah," Auden nodded. She had just started seeing Fred pretty regularly after work again. She hadn't been able to for a few weeks when the shop was busier than usual with Hogwarts customers doing back to school shopping. And then he and George had been working on new inventions after they closed for the day, so Fred and Auden barely had time to see each other. But things were getting less crazy now and Auden was glad.

"He runs a joke shop with George, right?" Marnie asked, frowning slightly as she thought.

Auden nodded again. "Yeah, they always wanted to open one ever since they were little. Nobody thought they would do it, though."

"Why?" Marnie looked concerned.

"Because they didn't really have a lot of money and it just seemed like a far-fetched idea I guess."

"I can't see it being far-fetched. Not for them, anyway. It seems like they're naturals at pranks. I've yet to see them frown once since I met them."

Auden laughed. "It's that obvious?"

Marnie giggled, and then her eyes widened in excitement. "Can we go see it? I mean, from what you and others have said, it seems like it's incredible."

"You really want to go?" Auden asked, surprised.

"Yeah, let's go right now," Marnie jumped up from the table.

"Okay." Auden started to bring her dish to the sink, but Marnie stopped her.

"Leave the dishes, I'll get them later." She dragged Auden from the room and they Apparated to Diagon Alley, right outside Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Marnie's mouth dropped open and she stood there, speechless.

"I thought you liked chaos," Auden remarked, tilting her head, amused with Marnie's reaction.

"I do, but I need a moment for this," she answered. She slowly leaned forward to read the signs in the front windows and look at the displays. "You-No-Poo?"

"Yeah, even though he's gone, they never took the sign down. I don't blame them, it's hilarious." Auden smiled fondly at the purple and yellow sign. She was glad the twins had left the sign up. It was certainly amusing and got a laugh out of nearly everyone who read it.

"I think I'm ready for the inside now," Marnie said, taking a breath.

Auden giggled. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

"Move it, coming through," Fred yelled. He was walking through the crowded store, carrying a box of Fanged Frisbees over his head. They had just run out of them for the fifth time since the day had begun and he needed to refill the shelf. Usually this would be Verity's job, but she was working the register while George worked in the back, working on finishing a new invention.

While he was restocking the Frisbees in an orderly fashion on the shelf, he heard a familiar laugh. He glanced over his shoulder and a smile automatically lit up his face as he saw Auden winding her way towards him with Marnie, who had her arms full of merchandise. Auden hadn't seen him yet and he found himself just watching her as she made her way through the crowded shop. He loved when she paid him unexpected visits at work. Usually she didn't like to bother him since the place was always so busy, but every so often she would pop in and a lot of the time she would end up staying for dinner and sometimes even overnight. Fred had considered offering to let her move in again, but in the end, he hadn't. If things worked out the way he wanted, he'd be marrying her soon enough anyway.

Suddenly, he saw Auden spot him and her face broke out into a grin. "Freddie!" she yelled when she saw him. He straightened up and she threw herself into his arms. He spun her around before setting her down and giving her a quick kiss.

"This is a surprise," he said, brushing hair out of Auden's face and smiling at Marnie.

"Marnie wanted to see the shop and-," Auden began.

"—you couldn't say no to the opportunity to see me," Fred finished.

"Exactly," Auden said, hugging him.

"You two are adorable," Marnie said, pinning an Extendable Ear to her side with her elbow as it fell from her over stuffed arms.

"Thanks, and you look like you could use a box," Fred said, handing her the now empty Fanged Frisbee box.

"How convenient," Marnie said, as she dumped the items inside and took the box. "Thank you."

"No, thank _you_. You saved me a trip out back to throw that away."

Marnie smiled before letting her eyes scan the shelves and displays. "Ooh, you sell Muggle magic tricks?" she asked. "How clever."

"Yeah, they're a big hit," Fred said.

"I'm going to go have a look," Marnie said.

"Sure, I'll meet you outside later," Auden answered.

"Was it her idea or yours to come here?" Fred asked as Marnie walked away.

"Hers," Auden said. "Why, did you think I dragged her here?"

"Well, it was a possibility since everyone knows you can't stay away from me."

"Oh, please, it's more like _you_ can't stay away from _me_," Auden said, poking Fred in the chest playfully. He grabbed her wrist and pulled on it. She stumbled into him and he caught her, smirking.

"No, it definitely looks like it's you who can't stay away from me."

"You did that on purpose," Auden said, frowning playfully.

Fred chuckled and gave her a one armed hug before kissing her temple.

"Honestly, we were just hanging out because Ben's out with Bill and she really wanted to come see the shop," Auden said.

"Clearly she likes it," Fred said.

"What's not to like?" Auden asked, grinning up at him. "Honestly, I'm so proud of you."

Fred kissed her forehead as he practically swelled with happiness. The two things he never got tired of Auden telling him were that she loved him and was proud of him. For a while, when he and George were first starting out, he had thought nobody would ever be proud of him. Auden had been the one to always be proud of him no matter what was going on.

Lacing his fingers through hers, he began leading her towards the back room, eager to show her what he and George had recently invented. "George and I were working on a new invention just before you arrived."

"Really? What is it?" Auden asked.

"Well, I can tell you that it involves food coloring, sugar, and a little bit of magic," Fred winked and pulled back the curtain to the back room where George was standing over a steaming cauldron. His hair was sticking out all over the place and he had an orange smudge on his nose.

"Seems like hard work," Auden commented.

"It is. This has to be just right," George said. He turned around and pulled what looked like a wig of bright orange hair off the table. "Here," he stuck it into Auden's arms.

"What do I do with it?" Auden asked.

"Well first put it on your head," Fred instructed, taking it from her and trying to put it on her head.

"Wait," Auden stopped him, "my head isn't going to explode is it?"

"No, this is a pretty easy invention, but it's about getting the recipe just right so it tastes good," Fred said, putting the wig on Auden's head.

"Tastes good?" Auden was confused.

Fred put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around to face the mirror on the wall. The wig looked real and it truly looked like Auden had cut her hair and dyed it orange.

"Yeah, it has to taste right because," Fred picked up a strand of hair and bit the end off, "it's candy hair."

"No it's not," Auden said, shocked.

"I just ate it, didn't I?" Fred asked, opening his mouth to show her he had swallowed it.

"The point of this," George said, flipping through papers on the table, "is so that you can walk down the street and you're already getting weird looks because of the obnoxious color, but then you can start eating your 'hair' and freak people out even more."

"We're even making them to match normal hair colors like brown and black so that they look believable and then bam, during a conversation, you can just chomp on your hair," Fred added.

"Wow," Auden said, as Fred held out a piece of the hair to her. "This is good," she said. "It actually tastes like orange."

"Yup, we're color coding the flavors," Fred said. "What do you think?"

"It's great!" Auden said, taking the wig off and putting it back on the table.

"So what's new?" Fred asked, leaning against the wall and looking at her. "It's been a few days since I've seen you. What's been going on?"

Auden grinned at him and George. Fred knew from the look on her face that she had news and she was aching to spill it. "What?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Guess what?" Auden asked excitedly..

"What?" Fred smiled even wider. Auden's excitement was practically contagious.

"Guess where Ben is right now."

"With Bill, isn't he?" George asked.

Auden nodded. "But guess exactly where they went?"

"Just tell us, Aud," Fred said.

Auden lowered her voice and peeked out the curtain to make sure Marnie wasn't anywhere near the back room.

"Nobody's going to hear you, it's mobbed out there," George told her.

"Okay, well right now," Auden whispered, "Ben's picking out an engagement ring."

"What?" Fred and George yelped at the same time.

"I know!" Auden said, grabbing Fred's hands and jumping up and down.

"Ben's getting married?" George's eyes were wide. "Wow, that's great!"

"It's a surprise though, so swear on your lives that you won't say a word to anyone, especially my parents. Do you swear?"

"I swear on Aunt Muriel's left pinky toe," Fred said, crossing his heart.

"I swear on her right pinky toe," George said.

"If you tell a soul, I still have the pink nail polish. I haven't forgotten."

Fred groaned. He had sincerely hoped she had forgotten. The last thing he wanted or needed were bright pink nails.

"George, the cauldron's overflowing," Auden suddenly said, pointing to the cauldron behind him on the table.

"Yeah, right," George said. "I'm not going to fall for-,"

"Oi, it really is!" Fred interjected, running to the other side of the table to stop the mess. George jumped away from the table and began to help.

Auden laughed and began edging towards the door. "Well, it looks like you have a lot on your hands, so I'll just be going."

Fred paused and cleared his throat. "You're forgetting something."

"Hmm, I don't know what that could be," Auden said, shaking her head and trying to hide her grin.

Fred walked back around the table and slid his arms around her waist. "What about now? Any ideas?"

"The light bulb just went off," Auden smirked, leaning up to kiss him. "I love you, and don't overflow any more cauldrons."

"I love you too and I wasn't the one who overflowed it."

"Oh sure, blame me," George muttered.

"Because you're to blame," Fred laughed.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"I'm going to go now," Auden said slowly, giggling as she wiggled out of Fred's arms. "Marnie's probably wondering where I got off to."

"Am I seeing you tonight?" Fred asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, just come right over after work."

Fred grinned, the prospect of seeing Auden again later instantly making the rest of his day brighter. "Okay, see you then."

"Love you,"

"I love you, too. Say bye to Marnie for us."

Auden nodded before slipping out of the room. Fred sighed before turning back to the table to help George wipe up the spilled Potion.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used for this chapter is **_**Two is Better Than One**_** by Boys Like Girls**


	26. Chapter 26: Long Live

_"I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you." _**–Long Live (Taylor Swift)**

* * *

"No, I don't like that," Auden muttered as she wrinkled her nose and crossed out a sentence that she had written on the paper lying in front of her.

"Auden," Fred sighed, "Ben hasn't even proposed yet and you're already trying to write their engagement article."

Auden sighed and brushed the quill back and forth across her chin. She was lying on her stomach on Fred's bed at the Burrow with her feet in the air while he impatiently moved around the room every five minutes as if he couldn't get comfortable. He had started out sitting on the bed next to her before moving to the window seat and finally to the floor, where he was sprawled out now, at the foot of the bed.

"I know, but it'll be any day now and I want to get ahead," she answered, looking down at him. She put her chin down on the quilt and tapped her feet against the headboard.

"You never get ahead on your other articles and you always manage your time well," Fred said, staring at the ceiling.

"That's because getting ahead is usually impossible. I never know about the engagements until after they happen. This time, I know it's going to happen."

"And you're allowed to write the article yourself?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, I didn't think they'd let me," Auden shrugged. She turned back to her scribbled and messy draft of the article and bit her lip. "This is my brother we're talking about. I want it to be perfect."

"I know, but let's just take a break," Fred said, rolling onto his stomach. "You have plenty of time to write that."

"But-," Auden began.

"No buts," Fred pushed himself off the floor and grabbed her hand. "We're going outside. It's Saturday and plus, fresh air is good for you. If we wait any longer the sun will have gone down."

"You sound like your mother," Auden laughed as he dragged her down the stairs. "Besides, it's cold out."

Fred didn't answer her. He just dragged her the rest of the way down the stairs and out the front door where he finally dropped her hand and made a big show of taking a deep breath.

"See? Air is good, sun is good, and outside is good." He took another deep breath. "Come on, you try."

"Fred, don't you think you're over exaggerating this a little bit? I never said I was completely opposed to being outside," Auden giggled.

"Come on, breathe," Fred said, ignoring her questions.

Auden rolled her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Happy?"

"Thrilled," Fred answered, taking her hand again. They began walking around the yard and stopped under one of the bigger oak trees. Even though it was the beginning of December, it hadn't snowed yet, but the air was still chilly.

Auden leaned up against the trunk of the tree, resting the sole of her shoe against the rough tree bark and looking towards her house. "My mother's going to go nuts," she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm them.

"She'll go into complete wedding frenzy mode," Fred added with a grin. He grabbed Auden's hand and pulled her to him for extra warmth. "We probably should have stopped to get coats," he said, shivering slightly himself.

"I told you," Auden giggled, resting her head on Fred's chest and continuing to stare at her house.

"Anyway," Fred continued, "let's just hope your mum didn't take any tips from my mum. We don't need another crazy wedding planning mother walking around."

"At least it's only temporary," Auden giggled.

"Until another wedding comes along."

"Thank goodness my mum has only two to worry about. Your mother has seven, given that all of you get married."

"Let's hope she doesn't go completely mental by the time the last child gets married," Fred snorted.

There was a faint popping sound from the direction of Auden's yard. "What was that? Was that them?" Auden's eyes grew wide and she snapped her head in the direction of her house where two figures were walking towards the front door, holding hands. "It's them!" she whispered, pulling out of Fred's arms and bolting away from the tree towards her house.

"Auden, wait," Fred yelled, running after her, but she didn't stop or even slow down. She reached her house and flung open the door. Ben, Marnie, and her parents were standing in the living room.

"—some good news," Ben was saying, but he stopped and turned around at the sound of the door banging open. "Oh, good, you're here, Aud."

Fred appeared behind her, panting. He put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "You sure can run," he said.

Auden ignored him and walked the rest of the way into her house, grinning like an idiot. "Okay, proceed with what you were doing."

"Well, as I was saying-," Ben began, but he was interrupted once again, this time by Auden's mother.

She didn't even say anything, just gasped and pointed towards Marnie's finger, her eyes widening. She had noticed the ring.

"Well, I guess you figured it out," Ben said, laughing quietly. "I'm getting married."

Mr. Parker's mouth dropped open and Mrs. Parker squealed and practically tackled Ben to the ground. Auden joined in, squealing right along with her mother.

"Congratulations!" Mr. Parker boomed, reaching over to clap Ben on the back.

"Yeah, this is great," Fred said, in a tone that didn't do anything to hide the fact that he had already known the news.

"You knew, didn't you?" Marnie asked Auden as she went to hug her.

Auden nodded and grinned. "Let me see the ring," she demanded.

Marnie held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. Auden gasped at the shiny ring. Fred came over to take a look, resting his chin on Auden's shoulder and whistling when he saw the ring.

"Isn't it lovely?" Marnie asked.

"It's beautiful," Auden whispered. The ring was simple, nothing too extravagant, but it looked wonderful, shining on Marnie's finger whenever the light hit it. It was a thin silver band with a single round diamond. It was traditional, and the style was perfect for Marnie.

"We've got to get planning!" Auden's mother exclaimed. She took Ben and Marnie's arms and pulled them to the couch. "Now, when would you like the wedding date to be?"

"We were thinking in June," Ben said. "Anytime in June really."

Mrs. Parker was nodding. "Very good, and what about the location?"

"Maybe in Romania with some dragons to provide the background music, er, growling," Fred suggested with a grin.

"Shut up," Auden swatted him.

"We actually discussed getting married here, not in Romania," Marnie said shyly. "I mean, it's more home to Ben than Romania is."

"What about you?" Mr. Parker asked. "Where did you grow up?"

"Oh, we moved a lot," Marnie shrugged. "All over the place. That's why I didn't go to Hogwarts, because we were living in different countries for half of my life and by the time my parents settled down here again for good I was already done with schooling."

Mrs. Parker patted Marnie's wrist and smiled warmly. "So you're okay with getting married here? We can do a backyard wedding. That's what Bill and Fleur did last summer."

"I'm perfectly fine with it. I've always wanted a backyard wedding."

Mrs. Parker beamed and jumped up. "Okay, now come on you two, we need to get an exact date and start thinking about food and a dress and decorations and..." Her voice faded as she led Ben and Marnie into the kitchen.

"I don't think I want to be involved in that discussion," Auden's dad said, sitting down on the couch and opening the newspaper.

"Neither do I," Fred shook his head frantically. He picked up Auden's hand. "Let's go back outside."

"But it's starting to snow," Auden gestured towards the window.

"All the more reason for us to go," Fred grinned like a toddler and dragged her out the front door. Flakes of white swirled through the air, landing in their hair and on their clothes.

"You're such a little kid," Auden said with a laugh as Fred stuck out his tongue, trying to catch the snow in his mouth. When he didn't answer, she laughed again and tried to catch a snowflake on her own tongue.

"I asked my mum to develop an extra copy of that picture of Ron with the napkin on his head and wearing Percy's glasses," Fred said suddenly.

"Why?" Auden tilted her head and stared at him.

"I wanted to put it in the scrapbook you gave me," Fred answered, stepping closer and pulling her to him.

Auden giggled. "Ron will love you for that."

"He doesn't have to know," Fred said in a whisper. "It can be our secret."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" Auden agreed, smiling.

"Right," Fred answered, leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

Christmas arrived, and Auden woke up early as she normally did on Christmas day. She found her mother in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Morning," Auden said, rubbing her eyes. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," her mother answered cheerily.

"You're in a good mood," Auden said.

"Well, the wedding plans are going well. We decided on a date. June 11th, to be exact, and Marnie's mother is going to take her to look at dresses sometime after Christmas."

"That's great," Auden said, wandering into the living room, where there were a pile of presents waiting for her. She started opening them, finding a handmade sweater from Mrs. Weasley, which was no surprise, but there was another gift from Mrs. Weasley. It was a small, rectangular package and Auden shook it, trying to figure out what it could be, but it made no noise.

"I know what that is," Auden's mother said in a sing song voice as she came into the living room. She sounded thrilled to know something Auden didn't.

"Well so will I in a minute," Auden answered, tearing apart the wrapping paper. She started laughing immediately. It was a framed copy of the group napkin picture. She stared down at the laughing, moving faces with a grin.

A note fell out from the wrapping paper, and Auden picked it up.

_Auden, I hope you like the picture. I gave copies to everyone, including Ben and Marnie. I even framed one for myself. I think it's a riot, if I do say so myself. Merry Christmas! Love, Mrs. Weasley. _

Auden grinned even more as she set the note and picture frame aside. She was reaching for the next gift, when someone apparated into the yard.

"That'll be Ben and Marnie!" Auden's mother jumped up and ran to the front door. Auden could hear their voices as they entered the kitchen.

Oddly enough, the gift she had picked up had a tag that read 'From Ben and Marnie.' She opened it to find a beautiful lavender colored dress inside. It was made of soft, slowing material and it had thin straps that crossed over each other in the back. There were even a set of silver shoes.

Auden gasped and pulled the dress out to hold it up. A note fell onto her lap that contained only nine words: _Would you like to be our Maid of Honor?_

"It's pretty, right?" a voice said from the doorway.

"It's beautiful," Auden sighed, holding the dress up again and turning to look at Marnie. Ben came to stand in the doorway behind her, a cup of tea in his hand.

"So that's a 'yes,' right?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"Of course it's a yes," Auden jumped up and hugged both of them tightly. "How did you pick out a dress so quickly? You've only been engaged a few weeks!"

"Well," Marnie laughed, "I wasn't expecting to, but I happened to see this dress and fell in love with it. I just had to have it as the dresse for my bridesmaids." She reached out and fondly ran her fingers along the dress in Auden's arms. "There's only going to be one other bridesmaid, by the way," she said. "My cousin, Vanessa."

Auden nodded before breaking into a grin and hugging her brother and Marnie again. "I'm so excited," she said.

"Believe me, Aud," her brother laughed, "we are, too."

* * *

Auden's family and the Weasleys always ate Christmas dinner together when everybody was home and this year was no different. Ginny had come home from school for the holiday, so everyone was together. Even Hermione and Harry were invited, to nobody's surprise.

"I'm going to be Ben and Marnie's maid of honor!" Auden shouted, bursting into Fred's room just after she had arrived with her family at the Burrow.

"Obviously," George said with a grin. He and Fred were lying on the floor, playing wizard's chess. "Personally, I didn't expect him to pick anyone else, did you, Fred?"

Fred shook his head. "No, you are his sister after all, Aud." He scratched his nose before ordering one of his chess pieces across the board.

"Bad move, Freddie," George smirked, moving one of his pieces forward, which then knocked Fred's piece off the board. Fred looked dejected.

"Don't worry," Auden knelt down and patted his shoulder, "you're still good at Exploding Snap. Oh wait," she gave him a sympathetic look. "I beat you in that tournament we had two years ago."

Fred made a face at her before grabbing her by the arm and pulling her onto his lap, tickling her. "I'm still good at tickling you, though."

"No, you're not," Auden said in protest, but her uncontrollable laughter said otherwise. "Stop," she giggled.

"No, not until you admit that I am the best tickler in the world."

"George?" Auden asked through giggles.

"Better do what he says," George said, his tone amused.

"Fine, fine," she said, her giggling growing louder. "Fred Weasley, you are the best tickler in the whole world. The whole universe, even."

"Wow, the whole universe. That was a nice touch," Fred said, letting go of Auden.

She jumped up quickly and held up one of her hands, where two of her fingers were crossed. "Ha, my fingers were crossed," she said, before running from the room.

"Ooh, she got you," George said, laughing.

"Get back here," Fred laughed, jumping up and following Auden down the stairs, George at his heels.

Auden ran into the kitchen and around the table, ducking under arms and around people, laughing and trying to get away from Fred.

"Hi Harry, hi Hermione," Auden said, hiding behind them. "Can you protect me from Fred?"

"What did he do now?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows as Fred ran into the room.

"He wants to tickle me."

"Hey, Fred, Auden's right here," Harry said, moving away, putting Auden in clear view.

"Thanks, Harry," Auden said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't mention it," Harry said, smiling and drinking his butterbeer.

"Thanks, Harry," Fred said, using a tone that, unlike Auden's, contained no sarcasm at all. Instead, he was grinning happily. He picked Auden up and threw her over his shoulder. She squealed and tried to wriggle free.

"If you're going to behave like that, then go into the living room!" Mrs. Weasley ordered, shooing them out and waving a potholder.

"Is dinner almost ready?" George asked. "I'm starving."

"Yes, now go somewhere else and be patient," Mrs. Weasley ordered.

George and Fred left, with Auden still draped over Fred's shoulder. He put her down on the living room couch and sat beside her. "That's a good look for you," he said as Auden fixed her messed up hair.

"Thank you," she sniffed, sending him a look.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione soon entered the living room. "I saw your article in the paper about Ben," Harry said. "It was really good."

"Thanks," Auden blushed. "Do you really think so?"

"Yeah, you're really good at it," Hermione added. "It's something I always noticed when we were in school. Your essays were always so well written."

"Unlike mine," Ron snorted, throwing himself down in a chair.

"They weren't terrible, Ron, you just didn't apply yourself," Hermione shrugged.

"Why would I when I had you to copy off of?" Ron grinned.

"But I didn't always let you copy," Hermione argued.

"No, only when I begged you," Ron answered.

"Sometimes I miss Hogwarts," Auden said suddenly, staring at the ceiling dreamily.

"So do we," Fred and George said together.

"You left early," Ron said with a short laugh. "You can't miss it that much."

"Not that much early," Fred looked uncomfortable. Auden knew he hated being known as the dropout, nothing more than a prankster.

"And it was only because of that toad," George continued. "She was making everyone's life a living hell. But other than that, we loved Hogwarts."

"I still can't get over when Umbridge hung Auden and Katie in the dungeons," Harry said, shaking his head somewhat angrily.

Fred looked furious at the memory. "Don't remind me," he muttered. "I still regret not being able to hex her for that."

"It could have been worse," Auden said quietly. "In fact, I did go through worse things. Like the Snatchers, and losing my memory, and almost losing you," she glanced at Fred.

"That was worse than what Umbridge did to you?" he sounded incredulous. "Worse than what the Snatchers did to you?" He gestured to her hand and her shoulder where the scars from Umbridge's quill and from the Snatcher's still remained.

"Yeah," she said seriously, taking his hand. He smiled a small smile.

"Remember first year when we all thought Draco seriously wanted to duel Harry?" Ron asked. "We were wandering around at night, almost got caught by Filch, and then met Fluffy, all for nothing."

"It was fun though," Harry shrugged.

"Fun? I was terrified and I remember thinking how much I hated you all for almost getting us in trouble!" Hermione cried.

"We didn't make you follow us, if I remember correctly," Ron said. "You did that all on your own."

"Remember when Ron danced with Professor McGonagall?" Fred asked, leaning back into the couch cushions.

"One of the few highlights of that year," Harry said, grinning.

"We weren't even speaking then," Fred nudged Auden with his elbow. "We were in that stupid little fight."

"That was completely your fault," Auden added.

"No it wasn't—okay fine, it was, but still…" Fred looked embarrassed.

"Luckily, I forgave you," Auden rested her head on his shoulder and he smiled happily.

Harry smiled and glanced between Auden and Ron. "You know, I'm so glad you two sat in my compartment on the first train ride to Hogwarts. And I'm glad we saved you from that troll, Hermione, because if all that hadn't happened, I probably wouldn't be sitting in this room right now."

"Maybe you would be," Ginny shrugged and took his hand. "Who knows? Things work in strange ways."

"Maybe," Harry shrugged, "but all I do know is that you guys are the closest thing I have to a real family. I know what having a family is like because of you."

"I'm glad I sat in your compartment too, Harry," Auden said.

"You had already met him, though, remember?" Ron asked. "In Diagon Alley, you met him and then conveniently forgot to mention it to anyone."

"Oh, that's right," Auden said, giggling.

Ron shook his head. "I still can't believe you did that. I would've jumped at the chance to get your autograph, Harry."

"Which is exactly why I didn't say anything," Auden said.

"Do you still want an autograph, Ron?" Harry asked. "Or maybe I can give you one of my old Potions essays and you can forever treasure Harry Potter's failed attempt at getting a good Potions grade."

"Nah, I don't need an autograph," Ron shook his head. "I'd rather be friends with you than have an autograph. Even though it's been one hectic, hell of a friendship, I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Really?" Harry asked. "After all the danger I put you, all of you, through?"

"Really," Ron answered.

"Think of it this way, Harry," Ginny said. "Our lives would have been so plain and boring without you."

"Not to mention a lot more normal," Hermione added.

"But who needs normal?" Fred snorted.

"We like chaos," Auden said, quoting Marnie.

"It's a good thing, because all through school I was the definition of chaos," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

Ron laughed. "You can say that again, mate."


	27. Chapter 27: Say You Will

The time between Christmas and June 11th passed by quickly. By the time the day before the wedding arrived, Auden's mother, who had been as excited as a kid in a candy store up until this point, was now about to rip her hair out.

"Renee, you should relax," Mr. Parker said, from behind his newspaper as Mrs. Parker paced the living room.

"No, there's a wedding going on here tomorrow." She stopped her pacing and looked out the window at the tent that had been set up that morning.

"There's nothing else you can do. Everything's ready," Auden said from the couch, where she was playing with the necklace Fred had given her. Ben and Marnie were staying over that night and they had already gone to bed.

"Is your bridesmaid dress ready?" her mother asked, rounding on her.

"Yeah," Auden nodded, sighing. Her mother needed to calm down, but that was going to be impossible. She was going to go over every detail again and again until the wedding started.

"Marnie's cousin got here this morning," her mother continued "Vanessa I believe is her name. Have you met her?"

"Yeah," Auden said again.

"Well?" her mother asked.

"Well what?"

"How is she?"

"She's nice, mum," Auden giggled, "really. Why are you worrying about that?"

"I'm just wondering," her mother said, pacing again.

"Okay, Renee," Auden's dad said, standing up and starting to corral his wife towards the stairs, "like Auden said earlier, there's nothing we can do until tomorrow morning, so how about we go to bed?"

"I don't know…what if we've forgotten something?" Mrs. Parker asked, chewing on a fingernail as she let herself be led out of the room.

"We haven't." Auden's dad told her. When they reached the doorway, he looked back at Auden. "Goodnight," he said. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't," Auden promised, smiling. As soon as her parents had disappeared, she jumped up from the couch and ran out the door. She had told Fred to meet her at the tree house. In her hurry, she didn't even put her shoes on, but she didn't care.

Fred was standing on the tree house porch when she climbed up the ladder. She joined him and they stood in silence for a minute, just looking at the moon.

"Let me guess," Fred said, glancing at her, "you were too excited to sleep. That's why you wanted me to meet you here."

"You got it," Auden answered.

"I can't wait to see you in your bridesmaid dress," he said, grinning at her.

"But you're supposed to focus your attention on the bride," Auden said, returning the grin. "It's her day after all."

Fred pouted. "I don't want to focus on her."

"Well that's rude," Auden said, half joking.

"No it's not. I'm not dating her, so I'm allowed to focus on someone else, that someone else being you."

"Ah, but none of the other wedding guests are dating her either. It's a wedding. The only person dating Marnie is Ben and in less than twelve hours they're going to be married!" She began to twirl around happily, her arms outstretched and her face tilted towards the sky.

"You're sure excited," Fred said with a laugh as he grabbed her hand and continued to twirl her around.

"It's my brother's wedding, of course I'm excited!" Auden exclaimed. She stopped twirling and wrapped her arms around Fred. "Weren't you excited for Bill's wedding?"

"Of course. I just contained it better than you," Fred smirked.

Auden swatted him and laughed. "Well are you excited for tomorrow?"

"Yes," Fred answered.

"Well this time, don't contain it. Jump up and down or something."

"No," Fred shook his head.

"You will if I light your pants on fire," Auden threatened, twirling her wand and grinning evilly.

"Fine, fine," Fred jumped up and down a few times. "Good?"

"That'll do, I suppose," Auden shrugged.

"I think I'm most excited about seeing you all dressed up tomorrow, though," Fred said with a grin. "Am I allowed to jump up and down about that?"

Auden giggled. "Please don't. Besides, I'm not going to look as good as Marnie will. She's the bride, she's supposed to be fantastic."

"And, what, everyone else has to look ugly? Just because she's the bride doesn't mean her bridesmaids don't get to look nice."

"Yeah, but all of the attention is supposed to be focused on _her_, Fred," Auden argued with a smile. She knew he was being stubborn on purpose and she found it amusing, but she also knew that Fred was being somewhat serious. He would only partially pay attention to Marnie tomorrow and part of Auden actually felt kind of flattered despite her insistence that people focusing their attention on her brother's soon to be wife.

"I want to focus on you, though," Fred whispered seriously, stepping closer to her and confirming her suspicions that he wasn't truly joking. "I love you and you're so beautiful."

Auden blushed slightly as her insides fluttered excitedly at the compliment. "Someday...at our wedding you can focus on me."

"Obviously, but that doesn't mean I can't focus on you every other day," Fred muttered, reaching out and pulling her to him before lightly kissing the spot where her neck met her shoulder. "I like the sound of that, though. _Our wedding_."

Auden smiled. "Let's try not to get ahead of ourselves here," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Fred murmered against her neck. "I want to marry you so badly. Besides, you're the one who brought up our wedding."

"I know, but I guess a part of me is a little nervous that it's still a big _if_. We don't know what's going to happen in the future. Things change." Auden was trying to think practically, but at the same time, she couldn't help the happy, warm, fluttering feeling that flooded her stomach when Fred said he wanted to marry her.

"Not how I feel about you," Fred whispered.

Auden smiled. "And not how _I _feel about _you_," she said.

Fred grinned. "Glad to hear it," he said before leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

The next morning, Auden woke up in her bedroom. She had ended up falling asleep in the tree house with Fred again, but he must have carried her back either last night or early that morning. That was probably for the best. It wouldn't do if she wasn't in her room if her mother came looking.

As if on cue, the door burst open and Auden's mother walked into the room. "Oh good you're up. Get your stuff and go into the guest room. That's where Marnie is. You and her cousin are going to help her get ready. Oh, and make sure you do something about that bedhead."

"Obviously," Auden called after her mother as she left the room. She grabbed her bridesmaid dress and her shoes and made her way down the hallway to the guest room.

"Come in," Marnie said once Auden had knocked.

Auden opened the door. Marnie and Vanessa were standing over by the closet, taking Marnie's wedding dress off of the hanger.

"You're going to look gorgeous," Auden said cheerfully, staring dreamily at Marnie's wedding dress.

"You really will Marnie," Vanessa added. She was already wearing her bridesmaid dress and shoes.

"You put your dress on before I put on mine," Marnie said. "I want to see how you look."

Auden changed into the dress and put on the shoes. "My hair needs a little work," she said with a laugh, examining her reflection in the mirror.

"I can do your hair, Auden," Vanessa volunteered.

When they were done getting ready, the three of them stared at themselves in the mirror.

"We're knockouts," Vanessa grinned.

"Oh, I love you two," Marnie threw her arms over Auden and Vanessa and her eyes began to tear up.

"Don't cry," Auden said softly, smiling slightly.

"I'm just happy is all," Marnie answered.

"You should be," Vanessa said, fixing the train of Marnie's dress.

"But I'm still a bit nervous," Marnie continued. "Not about actually marrying Ben because I _so_ want to, but..." she trailed off and sighed. "What if I trip or what if Ben actually gets cold feet or-"

Auden laughed. "He's not going to get cold feet," she said. "He loves you. And if he _did_ get cold feet, I would hex him halfway around the world. Just so you're aware."

Marnie laughed, but before she could answer, there was a knock on the door and Auden and Marnie's mothers popped their heads in. "You three look gorgeous! Are we almost ready to go?" Auden's mother asked.

"Yeah, just one more thing," Marnie said. She walked to the bed and picked up her own bouquet of flowers before handing Auden and Vanessa theirs.

"Let's go," Auden's mother said. "Marnie, your dad is waiting down in the living room."

Marnie's father was positively beaming as he watched his daughter walk towards him. After complimenting Auden and Vanessa on how beautiful they looked, he turned his attention back towards Marnie and held out his arm.

"I have to go sit down," Mrs. Parker said, "but remember Auden dear, stand up straight and don't walk too fast, and don't forget to smile."

"I know," Auden said. "Don't worry, just go sit."

Her mother left and Auden and Vanessa led the way out of the house and to the entrance of the tent, Marnie and her father close behind them.

Auden's mother was just sitting down as they reached the tent, and with a glance over her shoulder, she signaled for the music to start.

"Are you ready, dear?" Marnie's father asked.

"Yeah," she said, exhaling a deep breath. "A little nervous, but completely ready."

Vanessa was already walking down the aisle, and it was soon Auden's turn. She flashed Marnie an encouraging smile before taking her first step out into the tent.

As she walked up the aisle, she saw a bunch of people she didn't recognize who were from Marnie's family. She also saw many people she did know, such as her grandparents, Hagrid, Sirius, Harry and Hermione. Luna and her father were there as well, seeing as they were friends and also practically neighbors since they lived just a few hills over.

Ben met her eyes and grinned. He looked so excited and happy and the feeling was contagious. Bill and Charlie were his two groomsmen and they stood beside him, also grinning widely.

The Weasleys were sitting in the third row, and as Auden reached the front left of the tent and turned sideways to face the Ministry wizard at the front, she caught Fred's eye and winked. He was smiling at her happily.

"You look beautiful," he mouthed.

"Thank you," she mouthed back. She noticed George and Katie sitting right next to Fred and smiled at them.

The music changed and Marnie appeared at the entrance, holding onto her father's arm. Ben's grin widened even further, something Auden didn't even think was possible.

Marnie reached the front of the tent and kissed her father's cheek before letting go of his arm and grabbing Ben's hand.

"We are gathered here today," began the Ministry wizard, "to join Marnie Elizabeth Andrews and Benjamin Thomas Parker in holy matrimony."

The service continued and Auden could feel Fred's eyes on her. She kept shooting him glances out of the corner of her eye, and sure enough, his eyes never left her. She raised an eyebrow slightly and mouthed "rude," to him while moving her lips as little as possible.

Fred grinned and simply shrugged. Auden jerked her head slightly towards her brother and Marnie and widened her eyes, but Fred shook his head. He was being stubborn.

"I watched her walk down the aisle," he mouthed, moving two of his fingers in a walking movement. "Isn't that enough?" He shrugged and grinned.

"No," she mouthed back before grinning and turning her attention back to the ceremony.

"Do you, Benjamin Thomas, take Marnie Elizabeth to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Ben whispered.

"Do you, Marnie Elizabeth, take Benjamin Thomas to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Marnie answered, her eyes glued to Ben's.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife."

As Ben and Marnie kissed, applause filled the tent. Mrs. Parker was crying into her husband's shoulder and Fred and George were wolf whistling just like they had at Bill's wedding.

Once the dance floor and tables appeared, friends and relatives swarmed towards the newly married couple, but Auden was one of the quickest. She threw herself into her brother's arms. "Congratulations!" she screamed as her brother tightly returned the hug. "I'm so happy for you," she whispered in his ear."

"Thanks, Aud," he whispered back, his voice full of happiness.

Auden smiled and pulled away before turning to Marnie and hugging her as well.

Ben reached out tugged on a strand of Auden's hair. Vanessa had done it in a lovely bun, but had left a few curled strands hanging in the front. "Just so you know, you look great. My little sister is really growing up." He pretended to wipe away tears.

"Oh be quiet," she said, gently punching his shoulder. "You're the one who's all grown up."

"Pretty soon we'll be attending your wedding," Marnie said, grinning. "Yours and Fred's."

Auden blushed and looked down, remembering the conversation she and Fred had had the night before in the tree house.

"My sister, married?" Ben asked dramatically. He shook his head. "Dad and I won't allow it." He looked at Marnie. "You see, we have a rule in place that Auden and Fred have to stay five feet away from each other at all times."

"Oh, shut up," Auden said, looking up and punching his shoulder again. "Besides, you know Fred doesn't listen to many rules."

"He better listen to this one," Ben told her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Auden grinned and rolled her eyes before leaving to make room for the other guests trying to reach her brother and Marnie. When she finally made it out of the group of people, she scanned the tent for Fred. She found him sitting at a table with George, Katie and Harry.

"Ginny insisted on going to congratulate Ben at once," Harry was saying, "so she's in that mob of people somewhere. I wanted to do it later, when it was less crowded."

"So you're getting your rest now before she drags you off to dance all night," Auden said, joining them.

"Exactly," Harry answered. "I'll be lucky if my feet are still attached to my ankles by the end of the night."

"You might hate dancing, Harry," Fred said, "but I happen to love it." He stood up and offered his hand to Auden.

"Oh, you love it, huh?" she asked, taking his hand and letting him pull her to her feet.

"Well, I don't mind it," Fred shrugged, leading her towards the dance floor. "Especially when I'm dancing with you."

"We haven't seriously danced in a while," Auden commented. "I think the last time was Bill's wedding, actually."

"We're long overdue then," Fred said, pulling her closer and readjusting his hands on her lower back.

Auden nodded and grinned. "I agree," she said quietly.

Towards the end of the night, Fred volunteered to go get drinks, so Auden made her way back to the table. She had taken off her shoes at the beginning of the night, and they were thrown underneath her chair. She had danced with Ben, Harry, Ron and of course Fred, and now her feet were killing her.

"Hello Auden," Luna said, sitting down next to her. She was wearing a yellow dress again.

"Hi Luna," Auden said. "Are you having fun?"

"Oh yes," Luna answered. "My feet are quite sore from dancing."

"Why don't you take your shoes off?" Auden asked, noticing that Luna's yellow shoes were still on her feet.

"I will now that it's gotten dark out. I want to take a walk in the grass barefoot. There might be Toe Bugs in the grass. They come out only at night."

"Toe Bugs?"

"Yes, they attach themselves to your toes and feet and their saliva helps keep your feet healthy."

"Oh, sounds cool," Auden said.

"Yes, my father thinks your grass is in the perfect condition for them."

"Well I hope it is then," Auden answered.

"I hope so too," Luna smiled. "So, where's Fred?"

"Getting drinks. Did you want one?"

"No, thank you I'm fine. You know, I rather like you and Fred as a couple. Did you know that your face lights up when you see him?"

"It does?" Auden blushed.

"Oh of course, but don't be embarrassed, it's actually quite healthy."

Before Auden could figure out exactly how it was healthy, Luna was gone, saying that she wanted some pudding.

"What's wrong? You look like you were just hit over the head," Fred sat down next to her and placed two drinks on the table. His hair was messy from dancing and he looked tired, but happy.

"I was just talking to Luna. Were you aware that Toe Bugs live in the grass?"

"Toe Bugs?" Fred asked. "No, I wasn't aware."

"Well according to Luna the grass is in perfect condition for Toe Bugs to live."

"I don't think I want to know," Fred shook his head.

They didn't say anything for a few minutes. Instead, they just watched the guests dancing on the dance floor. Ben and Marnie were in the center. Ben was loudly suggesting that Charlie, standing on the other side of the dance floor, ask Vanessa to dance. Vanessa stood a few feet away, giggling and blushing while Charlie grinned and told Ben to be quiet.

"Charlie, do it," Ben called as Marnie laughed and buried her head in his chest.

"I'll do it when I'm good and ready," Charlie called back.

Auden giggled. "Do you think he'll do it?" she asked Fred.

Fred nodded. "Yeah, I think he will. He's just being stubborn and slightly obnoxious considering he's had a few firewhiskeys already."

"So has Ben," Auden giggled.

Fred smiled and took a sip of his own drink as the two of them fell into silence again. "So, it looks like we're going to be able to get through this wedding without any interruptions from Death Eaters," Fred finally said, slipping an arm around Auden's shoulders.

"Good," Auden answered, still staring at the crowded dance floor.

"You look exhausted," Fred said, kissing her neck.

"I _am_ exhausted," she answered, tilting her head to give him better access.

"Weddings tend to do that to you," Fred said with a laugh.

"I'll say," Auden giggled. "But I love them all the same. Kind of like how I feel about you. I'm exhausted from trying to keep up with you and your antics but I still love you."

"Wonderful," Fred snorted.

"I know," Auden said quietly. She smiled and gently turned to kiss him. Fred's words from the night before flooded back to her, filling her stomach with butterflies once again. _I want to marry you so badly_.

She wanted to marry him, too and she couldn't wait for that day to come.

* * *

The months following the wedding seemed to drag by now that there was nothing to plan for anymore. However, there had been a few big surprises. Percy had gotten engaged, and then married that past May, just after Bill and Fleur had their first child, Victoire. In June, Marnie had announced that she was now pregnant and expecting the following March. This pushed back their return to Romania even more, but Ben was now considering only going back for a little while after the baby was born before eventually coming home, finding a new job and staying put so that the baby could eventually go to Hogwarts.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, a year and a half after Ben and Marnie had tied the knot, Auden was standing at the register of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She had occasionally been working at the shop in addition to writing her articles for the newspaper ever since Fred came back after the war and they needed an extra pair of hands.

The day had started early and it turned out to be a hectic one as well, so Fred and Auden barely had time to acknowledge that it was their anniversary. Besides that, Fred was acting kind of odd. To Auden, he seemed nervous. She wanted to figure out why, but it was hard to talk to him for more than a moment or two with all the chaos.

When Fred and George had opened the doors to the shop, Auden had been surprised at the crowds of people that were coming in on Christmas Eve, but Fred and George weren't surprised at all.

"It's Christmas Eve, of course it's crowded," George said.

"That's the exact reason why I thought it wouldn't be," Auden answered.

"Yeah, usually on Christmas Eve we have crowds right up until closing time, but luckily today we close an hour early. With a little luck, it'll empty out just a little sooner than that," Fred added over the noise level of the customers. "Hopefully."

"Why, are you excited to go back to the Burrow and see everyone? Do you miss them that much? You did just see your parents last week and Harry and Hermione two days ago," Auden joked.

Fred half smiled. "Yeah, I know." With that, he gave a small laugh and disappeared into the back room.

"What's up with him?" Auden asked George, as she rang up a hassled looking mother with a baby propped against her hip.

"What? I can't hear you?" George yelled. "It's noisy and I only have one ear." He grinned and carried a box of Skiving Snackboxes over to the shelf to be restocked.

Auden rolled her eyes as another impatient customer waved a deck of Muggle playing cards in her face asking how much they were. She suspected George had in fact heard her and that he knew exactly what was on Fred's mind, but she didn't get a chance to ask George about it any further due to the crowds. She sighed, figuring she'd just have to work out the secret on her own.

* * *

"Finally, done for the day," Fred sighed, closing the shop's doors later that night. He locked them and leaned against the glass briefly before joining George and Auden by the register.

George dusted off his hands. "Well that was hectic, wouldn't you say?"

"Just a little bit," Auden smirked, resting her elbows on the counter.

The three of them waved at Verity as she left the shop and wished her a Merry Christmas. Once again, the shop was thrown into silence.

George broke into a smile. "Well, I'm going to drop by Katie's quickly before I go home, so I'll meet you two at the Burrow."

"Don't be late or your mum will kill you," Auden said.

"I won't." George laughed and stuck his tongue out at Auden before Apparating out of the shop.

Fred kissed Auden's temple and headed for the stairs to the flat. "I'm just going to get ready to go. I'll be back in five minutes."

Auden glanced at her watch. "I'm timing you and if you're a second late…" she smirked and tapped her wrist. Fred grinned and ran the rest of the way up the stairs. "I was kidding! Don't hurt yourself!" She giggled as Fred stumbled on the top step.

While Fred was upstairs, Auden wandered around the shop. It always seemed so odd when it was empty of customers and noise. She stopped in the middle of the shop and looked around at the shelves and tables packed with products. Fred and George really were smart. She sometimes didn't think the teachers at school had given them enough credit. Not until the end anyway, especially with the portable swamp. The small section Professor Flitwick had saved had still been there when Ginny graduated school last year.

"I'm back. Did you miss me?" Fred asked, sliding his arms around her from behind and kissing her cheek.

"Not particularly," Auden joked. Fred pretended to look hurt.

"Fine, then I won't give you your Christmas present."

"Christmas is tomorrow. You'll have forgiven me by then. Hopefully." She smiled and batted her eyelashes.

Fred laughed. "I would have and I would have given you your present anyway. Now let's get going before mum begins to wonder where we are."

"We have time," Auden said. "We're a little early actually."

"The early bird gets the worm, though. Isn't that right?" Fred asked with a small smile.

"Er, sure," Auden gave him a confused look. "But since when have you ever believed in that expression? Or even used it for that matter."

Fred shrugged. "I don't know, since today. Can we go now?"

They Apparated to the Burrow and Auden started walking towards the front door, but Fred was walking towards the backyard.

"Where are you going?"

"To the tree house. Now, come on," Fred smiled and took her hand.

"Why do you want to go there? There's snow on the ground and it's winter," Auden argued, but she went along with it anyway.

"So what?" Fred asked, his eyes shining.

"So you're an oddball," she answered, smiling.

"Yeah, just keep those insults coming," Fred answered, smiling at her. "First you tell me you didn't miss me, and now I'm an oddball." He shook his head.

"A cute oddball," Auden said.

"That's a little better," Fred smirked.

"Why are you acting so strange?" Auden asked.

"I'm not," Fred argued.

"You are." They had reached the tree house and they made their way up the ladder and out onto the porch. "We actually never came up here over the summer," Auden said, tilting her head. "I think the last time we were up here was last summer right before Ben's wedding."

"You're right. I missed this place," Fred said.

"Is that why you wanted to come up here?" Auden asked.

"Well, yeah, but there was another reason. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"What is it?" Auden recognized Fred's nervous habit of rubbing the back of his neck. For some reason, the fact that he was nervous made her nervous.

"Well," Fred took a deep breath and looked out across the yard. "First of all, happy anniversary." He looked at her and flashed a grin her way.

"Happy anniversary," she whispered back, smiling. "Six years. Can you believe it?"

"No," Fred laughed, "but at the same time I can. That's why I wanted to just thank you for everything. You've been there for me through all of the good and bad times of my life and you've put up with me for the past six years. You've put up with me for even longer, actually, because we were friends long before that. I don't know what I would ever have done without you and I still don't know what I would do without you."

Auden smiled and blushed. "You know I feel the same way. And I wouldn't exactly call it 'putting up with you'. I love being with you."

"I know." Fred turned to face her. "And I was planning this for weeks because I wanted it to be special and-,"

"What are you talking about?" Auden whispered, shaking her head.

Fred took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you that I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore."

Auden felt like she had just fallen through the tree house floor and hit the ground. What was he saying? Was he breaking up with her? For that, she was going to break his legs. Despite the fact that what he had just said didn't quite add up to a break up, she couldn't stop the thought from racing through her mind. While she was taking a few deep breaths and figuring out what to say, she just barely noticed what Fred was doing. He took one of her hands in one of his, got down on one knee and reached into his pocket with his other hand, pulling out a small box.

"I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore, Auden, because I want to be your husband. Will you marry me?" Fred opened the small box in his hand, revealing a bright, shiny ring. He half smiled, looking hopeful.

Now Auden really couldn't breathe. He had just scared the living daylights out of her and now she was shocked and happy and barely able to register what was happening. He was going to be the death of her, but until that happened, she wanted to spend her life with him.

"Yes," she whispered. A whisper was the best she would manage right now. Her throat was constricting and she was going to start crying with happiness any second.

"Yes?" Fred repeated. "Really?"

"Of course, you oddball," she laughed through the tears falling down her cheeks. Fred stood up and she threw herself into his arms, kissing him with all the force she had.

"Hold out your hand," he whispered when they pulled apart.

She did as he said and he slid the ring onto her finger.

"It's gorgeous," she whispered. It really was, too. It was a medium size band that twisted at the top to hold the diamond, which was shining in the moonlight.

"You like it?" Fred asked. He reached out and cupped her face in his hands, wiping away the tear tracks with his thumbs.

"I love it," she whispered. "Does anyone know?" she asked after a moment, holding her hand out and tilting her head from side to side, admiring the ring.

"No," Fred said. "Well, except George."

"Ah," Auden said. "That explains why he left the shop in a hurry. It also explains why you were so nervous today."

"You could tell?" Fred asked. "I mean, I wasn't nervous!"

"Whatever you say," she shrugged.

Fred smiled. "Come on, let's go break the news to everyone else."

They climbed down the tree house ladder and walked towards the house holding hands When they got there, they let themselves in the front door.

"We're here!" Fred yelled.

Auden felt as if she had a fish flopping around in her stomach. She was actually engaged and it looked like there was going to be another wedding to plan, but this time it would be her own.

* * *

**A/N: The lyrics in the title are from the song **_**Marry Me**_** by Train.**

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	28. Chapter 28: You Are My Heart Forever

Auden's mother stuck her head out of the kitchen as Auden and Fred moved from the front door into the living room. "Oh good, you're here," she said happily. "George just got here about ten minutes ago and dinner's almost ready. Auden, what are you grinning about?"

Auden looked at Fred who nodded his head towards her mother. "Tell her," he said with a smile.

"Tell me what?" Mrs. Parker asked.

"Well," Auden began. She smiled wider and took a deep breath. Holding up her hand she looked at her mother. "I'm engaged."

Mrs. Parker's hands flew to her mouth and she started screaming with joy. She grabbed Auden's hand and looked at the ring. "That's beautiful. Fred, you picked out a nice one."

"Oh, I'm not the one who proposed," Fred said, trying to hide his grin.

Mrs. Parker looked at him, an awkward, shocked expression on her face. "Yes, you are. Of course you're the one who proposed," she finally said, laughing.

Fred grinned and glanced at Auden. "She's too smart for me, Aud." He turned back to Auden's mother. "And thank you."

"You scared me for a moment!" she gasped, dropping Auden's hand.

"Do you really think I'd let her get away and get engaged to another man, then be this nonchalant about it?" Fred asked, pulling Auden backwards into him.

"You're right," Auden's mother laughed. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"What's all the noise about?" Auden's dad appeared in the doorway, the entire Weasley family gathered behind him along with Harry, Hermione, Ben and Marnie.

"Dad, I'm engaged," Auden said, smiling. "Fred and I are getting married."

Her father's mouth dropped open in shock and he gaped at her. Mrs. Weasley, on the other hand, pushed past him, screaming with joy. She grabbed both Auden and Fred into a tight hug. "Oh, I am so happy! You're really going to be part of our family now, Auden. Oh, this is wonderful!"

"Engaged," Auden's dad repeated as the others swarmed around Auden and Fred.

"Let me see that," Ginny said, inspecting the ring. "Hmm, I approve," she said, nodding at Fred.

"Glad I got your approval then," Fred rolled his eyes and smiled. "I couldn't possibly go on without it."

Ben grabbed Auden in a tight hug and spun her around. "Congratulations, Aud! Congratulations to both of you."

"Dad, you're still in shock," Auden said, patting her dad on the shoulder as he stood with his mouth still open.

"You weren't this bad when I got engaged," Ben added.

"Well, this is different. This time it's my little girl," Auden's dad said.

"You don't have to worry," Fred said with a smile. "I'll take good care of her."

"I know you will," Mr. Parker answered, stepping forward and hugging Fred, then Auden.

"Just in case, though," Ben said, "I will break your nose if you hurt my sister." His serious face turned into a small smile.

Fred nodded. "Understandable."

"And I must remind you again of the five feet rule," Ben continued as Auden's dad chuckled. "You will be married standing on opposite sides of the tent and dance on opposite ends of the dance floor."

Fred sent a devious smirk Ben's way before inching closer to Auden and pulling her to him. Ben narrowed his eyes, but he couldn't help the smile that came over his face.

"So, tell us," Hermione spoke up. "How did he propose?"

"Well," Auden began, "I was at the shop all day and I noticed Fred seemed a little nervous but-,"

"I wasn't nervous," Fred shook his head.

"Yes, you were. I could tell. I've known you my whole life. I know when you're nervous."

"I wasn't nervous," Fred repeated.

"They're already fighting like an old married couple and they haven't even been engaged for a day," Ron whispered to Harry.

"Oh, be quiet, Ron," Hermione said, elbowing him.

"Yeah, you two aren't much better," Fred smirked.

"Anyway, continue with the story," Ginny said.

"Yes, I am dying to know," Fleur added.

"Well, after we closed, George left ahead of us," Auden glanced at George, who was leaning against the wall next to the door and smiling, "and then Fred and I came here. He said he was going to the tree house-,"

"And she called me an oddball," Fred interrupted.

"You are, though," Ginny said, "but that's not important. Go on, Auden."

"So I followed him and then he started saying how-,"

"How I wanted to thank her for sticking by me through everything and that I loved being with her," Fred said, looking at her

"Then," Auden continued, staring back at Fred and smiling, "he scared me half to death by saying he didn't want to be my boyfriend anymore. I thought he was breaking up with me until he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him."

"The end," Fred took a bow.

"That's just lovely," Auden's mother said, clapping her hands together as Mrs. Weasley bounced up and down excitedly.

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" She turned to Auden's mother. "We'll actually get to plan their wedding together!"

"Oh no, two wedding crazed mothers on the loose," Fred groaned.

"Unless you'd rather get married in the woods wearing jeans and a t-shirt," Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes.

"Doesn't matter to me," Fred shrugged. Auden sent him a look. "Because I'd marry you anywhere at any time," he added, with a large, exaggerated smile.

"Nice save," she mumbled, grinning.

"Well, come on, let's go eat dinner, and we'll talk wedding plans," Mrs. Weasley marched off happily towards the kitchen, talking a mile a minute with Auden's mother.

"I think it's best to just leave them to it," Auden's dad said as Mr. Weasley nodded.

"I agree," Fred said, as they walked towards the kitchen.

"No, you don't," Auden said. "We're going to have to plan this with them, you know."

"Okay, but I did mean what I said earlier, you know," he said against her ear. "That I would marry you any place at any time."

Auden smiled and squeezed his hand as her stomach fluttered. Mrs. Weasley ushered everyone to their seats and she brought the food to the table.

"It's weird to think that you're going to be married, Aud," Harry grinned. "I mean, I've known you since we were eleven and now you're going to have a husband."

"How do you think I feel?" Ron asked. "I've known her since she was born. "

"Most of us have, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yeah, you aren't that special," George added, grabbing a piece of bread from the basket on the table.

"Well, you're not the one who has their own chocolate frog card," Ron retaliated.

"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out three cards. "I was going to tell everyone tonight anyway, but I was waiting for the opportunity." He handed the cards to his mother as Harry and Hermione both grinned.

Mrs. Weasley looked at the three cards and her eyes widened. "'Harry Potter,'" she read off of the first card. "The only known wizard to have survived the killing curse and is also known for his defeat of the darkest wizard of all time in 1998.'"

Mr. Weasley peered over her shoulder and read the next card. "'Hermione Granger—Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Office, known for assisting Harry Potter in the defeat of the darkest wizard of all time. Also known for receiving top marks throughout all seven years of schooling.'"

"'Ronald Weasley,'" Mrs. Weasley read from the last card, "'a well-known Auror who is best known for assisting Harry Potter in defeating the darkest wizard of all time. Also known for the best game of wizard's chess Hogwarts has ever seen.'" She placed all three cards side by side on the table and looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, her eyes filled with happy tears.

"I don't believe it," Mr. Weasley shook his head. "My son on a chocolate frog card."

"He deserves it," Hermione said, squeezing Ron's hand.

"So do you," he answered, blushing.

"This is great, Ron," George said. "Maybe you are special after all."

Percy pushed his glasses further up his nose. "This is wonderful," he said. "They don't put just anyone on those cards."

"It's also a bit odd," Ron said. "I mean, imagine eating a chocolate frog in the future and finding my own card inside."

"Percy's right, though, it is wonderful," Auden's dad said. "It's an honor, really. You three should be proud."

"Tonight's just full of good news." Mrs. Weasley was wiping tears away from her eyes. "You three don't mind if I keep these cards, do you?"

"No, not at all," Harry gestured for her to take them.

"Thank you," she said, scooping them back up and tucking them into her apron pocket.

Once they had finished eating dinner, they gathered in the living room, where Mrs. Weasley turned on Celestina Warbeck, as usual. Fleur rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut.

"Now, when would you two like to have the wedding?" Mrs. Weasley asked, taking out a piece of paper and a quill as Mrs. Parker sat next to her and stared at Auden and Fred, who were sitting on the floor at their mothers' feet.

Auden looked at Fred. "What about September? It'll be close enough to summer without being too hot and far enough away from winter so it won't be too cold."

"September's fine," Fred answered, tracing circles on Auden's hand with his thumb.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"You're the bride," he whispered.

"But you're the groom," she answered.

"My only requests, if you remember," Fred said, "are that people can wear what they want and-," he stopped, cleared his throat and glanced at his mother.

"Ah, yes," Auden said. "You wanted to put your mother in a full body bind curse until it was over."

"Not happening, Fred dear," Mrs. Weasley reached down and patted his cheek. "I'm going to be fully involved in your wedding."

"Okay, Fred can answer this next question," Auden's mother said, leaning forward. "Indoor or outdoor?"

"Outdoor," Fred answered at once. Mrs. Weasley wrote it down.

"We'll get the same Ministry wizard who married Bill and Fleur, and Ben and Marnie, if that's okay."

"That's fine," Auden said.

"What kind of flowers do you want on the tables and in the bouquets for you and your bridesmaids?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Light blue tulips," Auden answered at once.

"That was quick," Fred raised an eyebrow.

"I've always wanted light blue tulips at my wedding," Auden answered. "Little girls always fantasize about their wedding day."

"Seriously?" Fred asked.

"Seriously. Back me up, please," Auden said, turning her head to look at Hermione, Ginny, Fleur and Marnie.

"It's true," Hermione said. "Getting married is one of the most important days of a girl's life and-,"

"Okay, I get it," Fred laughed.

Auden turned to look at Hermione and Ginny again. "Will you be two of my bridesmaids?" she asked them. "And I want Luna and Katie to be the other two." She smiled at George, who returned the grin. "I'll ask them in person the next time I see them."

"Of course!" Hermione and Ginny answered together.

"Thank you for asking us," Hermione gushed.

"I wouldn't think of asking anyone else."

"Fred?" Mrs. Weasley looked up from scribbling down the bridesmaids names. "Who would you like your groomsmen to be?"

Fred immediately turned to George. "George? Will you be my best man?"

"What was that?" George asked. "I couldn't 'ear' you."

"Would you," Fred pointed at George, "be my," he pointed at himself, "best man?"

"It would be an honor," George answered, grinning and leaning back into the couch cushions.

"I'm glad you could be a part of my 'holey' matrimony to Auden," Fred grinned. He then turned to Bill. "Will you be one of my groomsmen?"

"Of course," Bill said, grinning.

Fred looked at his mother. "I want Lee to be a groomsman as well."

She nodded. "You just need one more so that the number matches up with the number of bridesmaids."

Fred looked at Percy. "I'd like you to be a groomsman. If you want to, that is."

"Me?" Percy looked shocked. "Why me?"

"Because Perce, you're family, and even though you seemed to forget about us for a while, you came back and-," he stopped for a moment and took a deep breath.

"What is it?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking concerned.

"When that wall exploded during the battle," Fred looked Percy right in the eye, "I was with you, Perce, and you made a joke-,"

Percy nodded. "The last thing you said before the wall exploded was 'you're actually joking, Perce! I don't think I've heard you joke since you were—', and then the wall exploded."

Fred smiled. "It reminded me of the old you. I mean, you always acted a bit more mature than the rest of us, but when we were young, you used to laugh and crack the occasional joke. You used to be fun. Then, you changed and I wanted the old you back. On the night of the battle I saw the old you for the first time in a long time and I thought 'wow, he's back, he's really back' because you not only came back to your senses, but you came back to the old you. The person you were before you became a-,"

"Ministry loving, family disowning, power hungry moron," Percy half smiled.

"Yeah, that," Fred smiled back. "Anyway, I want you to be a part of my wedding, Perce, because I missed how close we used to be and I'm glad you're back. Besides, you saved my life that day. If you remember, besides joking, you pulled me out of the way as the wall exploded."

"Yeah, but then you went missing because of it," Percy muttered. "That was all because of me and you could have died then as well. I put everyone through five weeks of torture."

"Perce, I would have most definitely died had you not pulled me out of the way. You saved my life and I owe you"

Percy cleared his throat. "I would love to be in your wedding," he said quietly. "As long as you don't throw mashed potatoes at me again."

"No promises," Fred shrugged as Percy groaned. He turned to look at Auden. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason," she whispered, smiling and resting her head on his shoulder. The truth was that she had never known exactly how much Percy's actions had affected Fred. She knew that he was angry at him for betraying the family, but there was more to it than that. Fred had felt like had lost his brother in more ways than one.

"How sweet of you, Fred," Mrs. Weasley had tears in her eyes again.

"You still have yet to set foot in our shop, though, Perce," Fred smirked.

"Well I have been busy," Percy put on a business-like face again.

"You're always too busy, Perce. It's been a few years since the war ended and you've never come to visit."

"Their stuff is genius," Ginny spoke up.

"I don't doubt that," Percy said.

"Really? I always thought you thought we were childish," George raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yes, but smart, even if you never really applied yourselves in school."

"I think that's a compliment," Fred smirked, "so thanks."

A smile flickered across Percy's face and he straightened his glasses.

"Okay, so back to the wedding plans," Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath and looked down at her paper again. "Next, we need to discuss the cake. I think we can all agree on a traditional looking wedding cake, but what should the inside be?"

"Fred can pick," Auden bumped her shoulder against his.

"Chocolate," Fred said.

"Don't pick chocolate because you know I like it," she shook her head.

"I picked it because I happen to like chocolate too," Fred grinned. "Not everything is about you, you know," he joked, widening his eyes and sticking out his tongue.

"On her wedding day eet eez," Fleur said from the corner where she was snuggled up with Bill.

"Thank you, Fleur," Auden said with a grin.

"It's my wedding day too," Fred argued. "I should have some say in the matter."

"You didn't seem to care this much earlier," Auden told him. "You wanted to leave everyone else up to the planning."

"Maybe I changed my mind," Fred sniffed, unable to hold back his smile.

"Men," Ginny huffed, "they can never make up their mind."

"Neither can women," Harry whispered to Ron.

"Oh, I know," Ron answered.

Ginny punched Harry's shoulder. "I heard that."

"Ouch." Harry rubbed his shoulder where Ginny had hit him.

Auden giggled and shook her head before leaning against Fred's shoulder again.

"I can't wait to marry you," he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She was actually going to marry him. She couldn't stop thinking it. It was something she'd wanted for quite some time and now it was becoming a reality.

"I can't wait to marry _you_," she whispered back, resting her cheek against Fred's shoulder. Fred smiled and looped an arm around her waist, pulling her even closer to him as he kissed her temple. Auden's stomach fluttered excitedly and from the corner of her eye, she saw her engagement ring catch the firelight. She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer to Fred. Tonight was officially one of the happiest nights of her life.

* * *

**A/N: The lyrics I used in the title are from the song **_**I Can't Wait**_** by Runner Runner**


	29. Chapter 29: The Only One For Me

"Sit down, sit down," Auden's mother ordered.

Fred and Auden obeyed the order and sat down at Auden's kitchen table. Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Parker were busy making tea. Why it took the two of them to make tea, Auden didn't know, but she didn't say anything.

"What part of the wedding are we discussing today?" Fred asked excitedly. It was mid-January and the first time they had really discussed wedding plans since Christmas Eve.

"Invitations and the guest list," Mrs. Weasley said, setting four cups of tea on the table. She and Auden's mother sat down across from Fred and Auden, pieces of paper spread out in front of them.

"Okay, so who are we inviting?" Mrs. Parker asked, pulling a piece of paper towards her. "Obviously the two families. We don't need invitations for the immediate family but I'll write names down anyway so we can have an idea for how many people we're inviting." She began writing down the names of Auden's family and the Weasley family.

"I don't know. I was thinking about not inviting my parents or the rest of the family," Fred shrugged, trying to hide his grin.

"Fred Weasley, I would never forgive you if I wasn't allowed to come to your wedding," Mrs. Weasley pointed her finger in Fred's face.

"You still have five other children whose weddings you can go to," Fred pointed out.

"But only one of you," Mrs. Weasley argued.

"Ah, but I have a twin," Fred countered.

"But he's George. You're Fred. There's only one Fred Weasley is what I meant," Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"I know which twin I am, Mum," Fred said. "It's everyone else who doesn't know. Anyway, of course you're invited. You're the first person who comes to mind when I think 'guest list'."

"Thank you, Fred, even if I don't believe a word of it."

Auden's mother cracked a smile. "Okay, who else?" She finished writing down the names of the immediate and extended family members and looked up.

"Well, Harry and Hermione, too obviously," Auden said, tilting the paper towards her.

"And George will want to invite Katie," Fred added.

"Neville," Auden said.

"Hagrid."

"Lupin, Tonks and Teddy."

"Sirius."

"Slow down," Auden's mother laughed, writing down names as fast as she could.

"You wrote down Auntie Muriel?" Fred asked, wrinkling his nose as he pointed to a name near the top of the list.

"Of course we did, she's family," Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Plus, if we didn't invite her, she'd do something like crash the wedding anyway and lecture everyone involved with the whole thing for not inviting her. And she might even write us out of her will."

"George and I are already written out of her well for that 'incident,' I believe you called it," Fred made a face and drew quote marks in the air.

"Yes, well, I'm still in her will and I wish to stay in it," Mrs. Weasley responded, standing up to clear away the empty cups on the table.

"If she makes one comment about my hair, George's ears, or Auden's split ends, I'm going to make a comment about her attitude," Fred leaned back in his chair.

"She did let us stay in her house for protection," Auden pointed out.

"Auden's right," Mrs. Weasley pointed a sudsy hand at Fred from where she was washing dishes. "You should be grateful."

"I am," Fred said. "I just don't like hearing that my hair's too long, or I have too many freckles."

"Your hair _is_ a tad long, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I grew it out to the same length as George. Longer hair hides his missing ear."

"I know that, dear, but you didn't need to grow out yours, too."

"I did it out of love," Fred put on an angelic face.

"No, you did it so that people still won't be able to tell you apart unless your ears are somehow exposed," Auden sighed. "That way you could still trick people and switch places and do all of those other twin pranks."

Fred just shrugged and grinned. He loved how much she got him. He hadn't had to say two words to her about why he grew out his hair, but she was right on about it. It was just one more thing that he absolutely loved about her.

They spent some more time on the guest list and when it was finished, they made plans to go out and buy the invitations the next week.

"Shopping?" Fred groaned.

"It's just for invitations," Auden giggled.

"Still," Fred answered. "I'm not any good at picking things like this out. Besides, the most important part to me is finally being married to you." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss before leaning back in his chair and grinning as Auden blushed slightly.

"At least you don't have to come shopping for my dress with me," she said.

Fred shuddered. "The most dreaded activity for a guy. I'm sure you'll pick out a gorgeous dress, though, and you'll look gorgeous in it." He brushed his thumb across her cheek and she smiled up at him.

* * *

On Valentine's day, Auden was sitting in the Weasley's living room with Fred. Her legs were lying across his lap while she looked through a magazine for wedding ideas. Fred was clearly bored. He kept tapping out beats of songs on her legs and staring at the ceiling.

"What do you think of this?" Auden asked, showing him a page.

Fred shrugged. "It's nice."

"You don't care, do you?" Auden sighed, dropping her hands to her lap as she looked at him, slightly annoyed.

Fred sighed. "I _care_. It's just that I'm not good at this. And I'm bored."

"Well pick up a magazine and make yourself useful," Auden instructed, tossing a magazine at him.

"Aud," he groaned. "I just told you I'm not good at this."

"Well, what _are _you good at?" she asked, somewhat irritably.

"This." He pulled her to a sitting position and kissed her.

"Fred," she laughed, pulling away slightly. "We have work to do."

"I don't want to," he pouted, kissing her again. "Aud, I honestly just want to marry you. Color schemes and flowers are great, but the most important thing is that we end up married in the end and I get to officially call you my wife."

Auden smiled and lightly touched his cheek with her fingertips. "I know. I think about that a lot. Finally calling you my husband, I mean," she said. Fred grinned and she kissed him once more before picking up her magazine and shifting so that she could lean against him. He ran a hand up and down her arm as he kissed the top of her head. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Fred seemed to get restless again. He had just started kissing Auden's earlobe when the door burst open and George almost literally skipped into the room. "Hello!" he yelled, leaning over the couch and hugging Fred and Auden's shoulders.

"Uh…Hi, George," Auden said. "What's up?"

"She said yes?" Fred asked, turning to look at George with an expression of utmost excitement on his face.

"Yes!" George did a happy dance all around the living room. He was even happier than Fred and Auden was confused. She had no idea what was happening.

"Who said yes?" Auden asked. "Nobody shares anything with me anymore."

"Katie," George answered. "Katie said yes. He grabbed Auden's hand and spun her around the room. "There's another wedding in the family!"

"No way!" Auden shrieked, covering her mouth with her hands. "George that's great!" She flung herself at him and gave him a hug. "I'm so glad!"

"Me too," he laughed, returning the hug.

"Tell me, Georgie," Fred said, speaking in a serious interviewer voice, "how does it feel to be an engaged man?"

"It feels fantastic," George flopped onto the couch. Auden made herself comfortable on Fred's lap. He slid his arms around her and she rested her cheek against his chest.

"I'll be writing your engagement announcement," Auden said, nudging George with her toe.

"It better be perfect," George grinned.

"Of course. Nothing but the best for my future brother in law."

George smiled and jumped up again. "I guess I'd better go tell mum. She'll go ballistic when she finds out there's another wedding to plan. Katie and I were thinking about November, so mum's going to have no down time after your wedding is over."

"Bless her," Fred said, shaking his head.

"She's such a saint," George added as Auden laughed.

"I thought that was you," she giggled.

George let out a laugh before disappearing up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

By the end of March, Fred and Auden's wedding invitations had been chosen and sent out and Mrs. Weasley and Auden's mother had announced that the day had come to choose flowers.

"I'm going to pass," Fred said, getting comfortable on the couch and putting his feet up on the table.

"There's a shock," Mrs. Weasley said sarcastically. She had been thrilled that George was now engaged as well and didn't seem to mind that she was going to be busy straight through to November. Auden almost couldn't believe it. If it had been her, she would've been incredibly stressed. There was no doubt Mrs. Weasley would be as well, but Auden figured she was just glad that her whole family was alive and well and able to get married and start families of their own.

Auden, her mother and Mrs. Weasley went to both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade to look for flowers, finally deciding on the exact blue tulips Auden wanted. Just as they were paying, a Patronus appeared in the middle of the room, right next to the register. Everyone in the store turned to stare.

"That's Ben's Patronus," Auden whispered, nudging her mother as they stared at the silvery leopard.

The Patronus opened its mouth and Ben's voice poured out. "Marnie's having the baby, get to St. Mungo's now."

There was silence in the store. Everyone had heard the message and everyone was staring at Auden, her mother, and Mrs. Weasley.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Mrs. Weasley broke the silence. "Let's get going!" She hustled towards the shop's door. Auden's mother gathered up the flowers, said a hurried thank you to the cashier, and she and Auden ran after Mrs. Weasley.

"To St. Mungo's then?" Mrs. Weasley asked once they were outside.

"Yes, let's go," Auden said excitedly. They Disapparated and reappeared in front of St. Mungo's.

Once inside, they ran to the front desk and Auden's mother told the witch sitting there that her daughter in law was having a baby and they wanted to go see her at once.

"Third floor, room 301," the witch said in a bored tone.

"She could have at least looked excited," Mrs. Weasley said, glancing over her shoulder as they ran to the elevator.

They skidded down the hallway to room 301 and stopped outside the door. Marnie's dad, Ben, and Auden's dad were standing there, looking anxious.

"My wife's in there now with her and the nurses," Marnie's dad said breathlessly.

"How long ago did she go into labor?" Mrs. Parker asked.

"Not too long before I sent you the Patronus," Ben answered. He was leaning against the wall, looking exhausted.

"Ben, you're going to be a daddy," Auden exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him gently. "You need to look more excited."

"I am excited," he answered. "I'm just so tired. The rush to get here was oddly exhausting and the anxiety doesn't help either."

"Don't be anxious," Auden told him. "Marnie will be fine and you'll have a healthy girl or boy soon."

"You're going to be an aunt," Ben told her with a smile.

"I am, aren't I?" she said, grinning back. Since hearing the news that the baby was on the way, Auden hadn't really thought of what it had meant for her. She had thought about it when she had found out Marnie was pregnant, but now that she was having the baby, Auden could only think about her brother. Her older brother who had always taken care of her and defended her and protected her was about to become a first-time dad and he actually looked terrified.

"Yeah, you are," he whispered. "You should be excited too."

"I am," she answered. She paused. "You actually look a bit scared."

"That's an understatement," Ben laughed. "I'm terrified. This is all new to me."

"You work with dragons, Ben," Auden told him. "You can definitely handle a baby."

"I don't know about that," Ben chuckled.

"I do," Auden said. "You'll be great."

Ben smiled and pulled her into another tight hug as they continued to wait for news. The minutes turned into hours and soon it had been two hours. Mr. Weasley and even the twins had arrived shortly after Auden had gotten there and they were all waiting outside the hospital room door. After three and a half hours of waiting, the door finally opened and a witch stuck her head out. "Ben Parker?"

Ben stood up from where he had sunk to the floor against the wall. "Yes?" He walked towards the door nervously.

"Would you like to come in and meet your daughter?" the Healer asked quietly, a smile lighting up her face.

"I have a daughter?" Ben squeaked.

"Yes, you do, and she's beautiful."

Ben walked into the room as if he were in a trance. He looked stunned and Auden almost giggled.

"We can allow the rest of you to come inside in about five minutes," the Healer said with a smile.

"She had a baby girl," Auden squealed, hugging her mother. "I have a niece!" She turned to Fred and hugged him as well. "I have a niece," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back, kissing her forehead. "Congratulations."

Five minutes later, the nurse came back into the hallway. "The rest of you may come inside now," she said.

Auden and her parents led the way into the room. Auden actually had to fight the urge to run inside. She was so excited to meet her new family member. Inside the room, Marnie was lying in the bed, cradling a tiny little baby wrapped in a pink blanket.

"Oh, she's so beautiful," Auden said, standing beside her brother and gently touching the baby's tiny fingers.

"We've decided to name her Kaylee," Marnie said with a smile. She looked exhausted, but at the same time she was practically glowing.

"It's a lovely name," Auden's father said.

"Congratulations," Mr. Weasley added, beaming.

Mrs. Weasley hugged Ben and leaned over the side of the bed to see Kaylee closer. "Who do you think she looks the most like?"

"Well, she has Ben's eyes," Marnie said. "When she wakes up you'll be able to see, but yeah, they're his eyes."

"She has Marnie's nose and jaw line and her smile too I'm pretty sure," Ben said.

"Well she's absolutely gorgeous," Auden's mother sighed.

"Want to hold her, Auden?" Marnie asked.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. You're her aunt." She giggled quietly as she passed Kaylee to Auden.

"Hi Kaylee," Auden whispered, gingerly holding the baby in her arms. "I'm your aunt, did you know that? Did you also know that you're adorable and that I love you?"

Kaylee's eyes opened a crack before she readjusted her small arm and went back to sleep.

"I think that was her way of saying she understands," Ben laughed. He bent down and kissed Kaylee's head. "What a smart baby."

Fred came up behind Auden and put his hands on her shoulders as he peered down at Kaylee. "She's so _small_," he whispered.

Auden turned her head to smile up at him. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Fred nodded and reached down to touch Kaylee's tiny fingers. "Hello, Miss Kaylee," he whispered. "I'm your uncle. Well, I will be as soon as I'm married to the beautiful girl holding you." Kaylee curled her fingers around Fred's pinky in response.

"She likes you," Auden whispered, turning to look at Fred again. He had an incredulous look on his face. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

"Auden?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

"Can we have a daughter?"

Auden giggled. "Funny, I'd expect you to hope for a son."

"I want a son, too," Fred whispered, still gazing at Kaylee.

Auden smiled softly. "Someday maybe we'll have both."

The baby was passed around the room, from arm to arm and she never woke up once. She quietly slept through the whole thing.

"Look how well she stays asleep," Ben whispered, rocking Kaylee in his arms. "She's such a good baby."

"Wait until she wakes us up at four in the morning because she's hungry or she wants attention or she needs a diaper change or-," Marnie counted off on her fingers.

"I get it," Ben laughed, "but for right now, she's being a perfect angel. She's our angel."

* * *

"What about this one?" Luna's dreamy voice called from the middle of a sea of dresses. Auden was dress shopping and she had brought all four of her bridesmaids, plus her mother and Mrs. Weasley.

"Which one?" Auden asked distractedly. She was examining another dress across the aisle from Luna.

"Turn around and you'll see," Luna giggled.

Auden turned around. Luna was holding up a dress with a huge, puffy skirt and a feathery material at the top.

Auden shook her head. "Erm…"

"No? Well, that's okay," Luna answered, as cheery as ever.

Ginny began to hack through a rack of dresses like she was some kind of explorer in the jungle. "There's so many to choose from. It's nuts."

Hermione was examining each dress closely. It was taking her forever to look through them. It was like she was examining to make sure each thread was in place and no beading was coming apart.

Katie had gotten distracted over by a display of hats at the front of the store and was trying on hat after hat.

"Focus!" Ginny said, appearing in front of her and snapping her fingers before marching away.

"Sorry!" Katie exclaimed, rushing back to the dresses.

"Auden dear," her mother said, appearing from the behind another rack. Her voice was muffled because her arms were full with about five different dresses. "I picked these out for you and if you'd tell me which ones you want to try on, I'll go put them in a dressing room."

"Well, I like this one," Auden pointed to the first dress. "And I like this one too." She pointed to another dress in her mother's arms.

"Okay then, I'll go find a fitting room and you keep looking."

Auden turned back to the numerous racks of dresses and blew out a puff of air. This was hard work. She always thought that she would see a dress that she was immediately drawn to; one that demanded for her to try it on and pray that it looked nice.

"We'll find one," Hermione said comfortingly, looking up from a dress she was examining.

"I hope so," Auden sighed as they continued to walk past the dresses. Her eyes fell on the dress Hermione had just reached out to look at. It was gorgeous. It was strapless and made of a soft chiffon material. The skirt wasn't poofy but it did flare out in an A-line style and it had a small train in the back. There was a floral design embroidered across the top and partway down the side.

She gasped and reached out for the dress, running her fingers across the fabric. She looked up at Hermione, who grinned and pulled the dress off the rack.

"We might have found the one," she said.

Auden began to speed walk towards the dressing rooms. Luna looked up from examining a dress with a sunflower attached to the shoulder and she raised an eyebrow amusedly at Hermione and Auden. "You seem to be in a great hurry."

"We might have found the dress. I just have to try it on," Auden said, grabbing Luna's arm and dragging her with them.

Ginny and Katie caught up to them on the way to the dressing rooms and the four bridesmaids stood outside while Auden tried the dress on.

"Auden?" It was her mother's voice. "Ginny said you found a dress you liked?"

"Do you have it on yet? I want to see!" It was Mrs. Weasley's voice this time.

"Not yet," Auden answered, slipping the dress off the hanger. She was already in love with this dress just from looking at it. Her only hope now was that it looked good on her.

She slipped the dress on and smoothed down the front. She took a deep breath and turned around to face the mirror.

It was perfect. She absolutely loved it. It fit her just right. How lucky could she get?

"Mum, I think this is the one," she whispered, opening the door and stepping out into the waiting room.

"Oh," her mother sighed, her hand flying to her mouth. "Auden, it's beautiful."

Mrs. Weasley held up a veil and pinned it in Auden's hair so it hung down her back. "There, it's perfect," she whispered.

"You need to buy it," Hermione said.

"Fred's going to lose his mind when he sees you," Ginny grinned.

"Really?" Auden twirled around.

"Seriously," Ginny answered. "Although, I always thought he lost his mind years ago."

"What do you think, Luna?"

"I think it is very lovely."

"It is," Mrs. Weasley said, circling Auden and adjusting the skirt in certain places.

"That was surprisingly easy," Auden's mother said.

"Easy? We were here for hours before I saw this one," Auden laughed.

"But it was the first one you tried on. I would say you should try on the others but I can see your mind is set on this one."

Auden nodded. "Mum, don't cry," she said, noticing her mother's eyes filling with tears.

"You're getting married, I just can't believe it," she choked out, grabbing Auden in a tight hug.

"I know, Mum," Auden gently patted her mother's back.

"The house is going to be so quiet and empty," her mother continued. "It'll be just me, your father, and your father's monster snores."

"Sounds like a fun time," Auden giggled.

Her mother swatted her gently. "You look lovely dear," she said, wiping her eyes.

They paid for the dress, and the cashier slid the protective cover over the hanger so that it covered the dress. They Apparated back to Auden's house and headed for the front door. Hermione, Katie, and Luna had all agreed to come back to Auden's house as well.

As they were going inside, Fred raced out of the Burrow and ran to Auden. He picked her up and spun her around. "I've missed you! You were gone since this morning."

"Shopping for a wedding dress is hard work," Auden answered as they want inside and headed up to her bedroom.

"Except the first dress _you_ tried on was the perfect one," Katie teased, sitting down on Auden's bed. Auden's mother was just shutting the closet door and turning to leave.

"I put the dress in your closet, Auden dear. Oh, hello, Fred."

Fred greeted Auden's mother and flopped down onto Auden's bed next to Katie. Hermione, Luna and Auden all joined him. "Can I see the dress?"

"No," Auden scolded. "It's a secret until the wedding."

Fred pouted and gave her his best puppy-dog look, but Auden refused to give in. If he saw the dress, he would be less surprised when she walked down the aisle in it and she didn't want that. She wanted the first time he saw it to be when she was wearing it and walking towards him on their wedding day.

"According to Ginny," Luna spoke up, "you're going to—what was the phrase?—oh, yes, 'lose your mind' when you see Auden in her dress."

"Now I _really_ want to see it," Fred said, sitting up.

"It's against the wedding rules," Auden said, tapping his nose.

"Now you know I don't really care much for rules."

"I know, but this is one you have to follow or else."

"Or else what?"

"Or else," Luna said, "the Carriwitchets will get revenge."

"The what will do what?" Fred asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Carriwitchets are very small elf-like creatures. Only about a foot tall," Luna explained, holding her hand a foot off the bed. "When you do something you aren't supposed to do, they come back and get revenge by playing tricks, like maybe moving or hiding your things."

"I've never heard of those and George and I have caused lots of trouble," Fred said, on the verge of laughing. He raised an eyebrow.

"They come in the night," Luna said. "Also, they don't only move things around. They do other things as well."

"Like what?" Hermione asked.

"Like pulling people's hair and making small, strange noises. They can sound like anything; rustling leaves, wind, birds, and many other things."

"Uh-huh," Hermione answered, staring at Luna and nodding her head slowly.

"Have you ever seen a Carriwitchet?" Auden asked.

"No, sadly I have not," Luna said. "Daddy and I tried to stay up all night once but we both fell asleep."

"I see," Auden answered. Fred was about ready to burst from holding in laughter so she nudged him with her elbow to get him to be polite.

"Well, I think I can handle these Carriwitchets," Fred said, making a dash towards the closet.

"No," Auden squealed. She jumped in front of him and blocked the doors. "You can't," she giggled.

"Oh yeah? Try me" Fred said. He jumped forward, grabbed her, spun around and placed her behind him before reaching for the closet again.

With a yelp like a wild Indian, Ginny jumped on Fred's back, laughing. "Attack!" she giggled. Auden crawled towards the closet and hurried inside. She held the door closed from the inside and laughed.

"You can't get inside," she taunted. Opening the door a crack, she saw Ginny was still on Fred's back, laughing and holding on tight as he tried to shake her off by trying everything including tickling her feet. Luna and Katie had latched themselves onto Fred's legs so that he couldn't walk, and Hermione was sitting on the bed, enchanting little balls of paper to fly at Fred's head.

"You can't hide from me in there, Aud," Fred cried through his laughter. "I'll get you once I get rid of these-,"

"We're Carriwitchets!" Luna giggled.

"You don't know what you got into," Auden laughed. "You don't mess with us."

She crawled out from the closet, making sure to shut the door, and raced in front of Fred, sticking out her tongue. He tried to grab her arm, but he was slowed down by Ginny, and Auden was too fast. She dropped to the floor and rolled under the bed. There was a stray pair of socks lying near her arm so she grabbed them and threw them at Fred's head.

"Bingo!" she yelled as they hit his head and bounced off.

"What is going on in here?" asked a voice. Auden peered out from under her bed. It was her mother and Mrs. Weasley. "We kept hearing noises from downstairs and we thought the house was going to fall down on our heads!"

"I'm being attacked by Carriwitchets," Fred said calmly.

"I see," Auden's mother said calmly. "Well, would you mind warding them off a bit quieter?"

"Of course," Fred tried to do an exaggerated bow, but Ginny's weight on his back caused him to fall forward onto his face, Ginny rolling off his back and onto the floor.

Auden snorted. "Smooth."

Fred threw the socks that had fallen to the ground at Auden's face. "Wash your socks."

"These are clean, but they must have rolled under the bed when I put the laundry away."

"Sure," Fred answered with a grin.

"It's true. My room is spotless, unlike yours."

"I hope your room at the flat is clean. You and George always had a habit of leaving things lying around when you lived at home," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yeah, of course it's clean," Fred mumbled. "As clean as Snape's hair," he added in an undertone.

"I heard that, Fred Weasley," Mrs. Weasley said as she and Auden's mother marched down the stairs.

"She hears everything," Fred mumbled.

"At least that means she has no Wrackspurts in her brain," Luna said from where she was lying on the floor.

Auden caught Fred's eye and they both grinned. "No, thank goodness," Fred said.

* * *

**A/N: The song used for this chapter's title was _Back At One_ by Brian McKnight. **

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	30. Chapter 30: All I've Waited For

Auden was walking through Diagon Alley, picking up a few things that her mother had sent her to buy. It was the first of July and the wedding was in two months, on September 3rd. She couldn't believe how fast time had flown by since the time she and Fred had become engaged. She, her mother and Mrs. Weasley had been so busy with wedding preparations that Auden had been caught up in a whirlwind of decisions, shopping and planning. She didn't mind, though. She was incredibly excited. She just wanted the day to arrive so that she would finally be married to Fred.

Just as she was passing a jewelry store, she happened to glance inside and she saw two familiar people standing at one of the counters. It was Ron and Harry. She squinted and peered through the window. They were looking at rings. A grin lit up her face and she quietly entered the store and snuck up behind them.

"I have no idea what kind of ring Hermione would like," Ron said, widening his eyes at all of the options.

"I'm sure she'll like whatever you pick, Ron," Harry said, walking a little further down the counter. "It's picking one for Ginny that's a problem. It has to be just right."

Auden's mouth almost dropped open. Harry and Ron were proposing to Ginny and Hermione! They hadn't even said anything! Regaining her composure, she tiptoed closer to them and leaned against the counter. "What about that one?" she suggested.

Both boys jumped and spun around. "Where did you come from?" Ron gasped.

"I was walking through Diagon Alley just picking up a few things and I looked in the window and saw you two." She grinned widely at them.

"Okay, well while you're here, you can help us pick out rings for Ginny and Hermione," Ron said, going back to the display of rings.

Auden grinned even wider. "This is great! We're all getting married!" she practically squealed.

"Yeah, fantastic," Harry said, laughing at Auden's obvious excitement.

"Why didn't you two _tell _me?" she asked.

"Well, we just kind of decided recently to come out and get rings," Ron said.

"But you must have been considering asking them for a while," Auden argued.

"Yeah, but maybe we wanted you to find out after Hermione and Ginny when we made the announcement to the rest of the family," Ron said with a smile.

"Oh, shut it," Auden joked. She rested her elbow on the counter and propped her chin in her hand. "So, when do you two plan on popping the question?"

"Soon," Ron said. "Probably in the next few days. Harry's got it all planned out though. He's proposing on Ginny's birthday next month. Romantic git."

"I told you that you could propose on Hermione's birthday," Harry sighed.

"I don't want to wait that long," Ron said impatiently.

"Of course you don't," Auden laughed. "Who knew you'd be so excited to ask Hermione to _marry_ you. If I remember correctly, you used to think she was a nightmare."

Ron's ears turned bright red. "I was eleven. I didn't know anything."

"Yeah, we'll go with that," Auden answered with a smile.

Once Harry and Ron had chosen rings, the three of them went their separate ways. Two days later, Ron showed up at Auden's front door. "I can't do this," he said, barging into her house. "I'm too nervous."

"Do what?" she asked as Ron made himself comfortable at the kitchen table and took a sip of the mug of tea she had just made herself. She sighed and started on making a second cup.

"Propose! I mean, what do I say? We don't have any cute places like you and Fred have the tree house."

"You don't need to bring her to a cute place," Auden said. "She would say yes no matter where you asked her. You could ask her next to a pile of garbage and she'd say yes, although I don't advise doing that."

"You think she'd say yes?"

"I know she'll say yes, Ron. Why don't you take her to the library?" she giggled. "That would be perfect."

"Oh, shut up," Ron mumbled, swirling the tea around in his mug while Auden sat down across from him with her new mug of tea.

"Or you could take her to King's Cross and say something about how you first met on the Hogwart's Express and you had no idea how meeting her would change your life in the future." She waved her hand around and shrugged. "Something along those lines. Maybe something less corny-,"

"No it's perfect!" Ron jumped up. "I'm going to do that."

"Okay then," Auden smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"I can't do this," Ron sank down into the chair again.

"You _can_ do this," Auden answered. "You're Ronald Weasley and you can do anything." She grinned.

"I left her and Harry, you know," Ron said quietly. "When we were looking for Horcruxes, I walked out on them and went to live with Bill and Fleur for a little while."

Auden just looked at him and raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. She had to say that she was a little surprised. She had suspected that Ron probably wouldn't adjust to camping and being away from his family very well, but she never thought he'd ever walk out on his best friends.

"The locket made us grumpy when we wore it, but it always made me the grumpiest. It made me think things," Ron whispered.

"Like what?" Auden asked.

"It made me think that Harry and Hermione liked each other. I mean, first of all, I've always been second best to Harry because he's famous and brave. I was pretty used to being overshadowed by my brothers, but when it came to Hermione, I didn't want Harry to beat me."

"But he didn't," Auden said. "Hermione likes you, Ron. She has for years. Personally, I was wondering for the longest time when you were going to start dating."

"She's liked me for years? How long exactly?" Ron asked, looking surprised.

"She officially told me in sixth year. The day you first kissed Lavender, actually, but I'd say she's probably liked you since fourth year," Auden shrugged. "I thought it was obvious."

"She told you she liked me? Why didn't you say something? I didn't even know," Ron said.

"Yeah, I know you didn't. And I didn't say anything because you were with Lav Lav."

Ron scowled. "What about after we broke up?"

"Ron," Auden laughed. "Around that time there were way too many things on my mind…or not since I had amnesia a few months later."

"I can't believe I never knew she liked me for that long," Ron muttered.

"Yeah, because you need a brick thrown at your head for you to notice anything," Auden snorted. Ron's mouth twitched into a smile.

"I knew I could tell you about me leaving, though. I knew you would understand. Bill, too. He was understanding about it. Not thrilled, but he understood. If I told Ginny, or Fred, or George, they would be horrified."

Auden smiled a small smile. "So, you left because of Harry and Hermione?"

"Kind of," Ron shrugged. "That was part of it, but the Horcrux also made me grumpy and miserable and upset about the fact that we weren't finding any more Horcruxes and we had no idea where to begin. Dumbledore left us hardly any information and none of us knew what to do. I mean, I was only slightly annoyed by that before, but if the Horcrux hadn't been affecting me I would have never walked out on Harry and Hermione. Never. That bloody Horcrux drove me crazy. And I'm not trying to make excuses for myself, but I just couldn't take it anymore."

"But you went back, though, and that's the important thing," Auden told him with a small smile. She paused and put her hand on Ron's arm. "Did you ever think that maybe Harry wished he had your life?"

"Why would he?" Ron asked with a snort.

"Because you have a family; a large one at that. You grew up having your own real bedroom, not a cupboard under the stairs. You always had food and you were loved. He had none of that. He didn't even have friends until Hogwarts."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, he's had it pretty tough, huh?"

"I'll say," Auden smiled. "But he's happy now and I'm glad he is."

"Me too," Ron answered. "Even if he's getting married to my sister."

"I'm getting married to your brother," Auden pointed out.

"But that's different. I'm more protective of Ginny than of Fred. It's just the rules of family that older brothers worry about their sisters."

"Apparently," Auden laughed.

"I'd be the same way with you, actually," Ron answered. "If Fred ever hurt you in any way...even though I know he won't...I wouldn't like it. And I know Harry won't hurt Ginny, but it just takes some getting used to."

Auden smiled. "I appreciate that, Ron. Anyway, you need to hurry up and get Hermione to King's Cross."

"I do!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up from his spot at the table.

"Wait," Auden stood up and brushed lint off Ron's jacket. She straightened his collar and smiled at him. "Perfect. And don't be nervous."

"Don't ever mention to anyone else that I'm nervous," Ron said. "Or I'll deny it."

"What is it with boys being afraid to admit they're nervous?" Auden threw up her hands.

"Just promise me," Ron said with a half-smile.

"Okay, fine, I promise, now go." Auden shooed him out the door before shutting it behind him and smiling as she began clearing the mugs of tea from the table.

* * *

Auden checked another date off on the calendar hanging in the kitchen. The last date before her wedding, to be exact. Her wedding was tomorrow and nerves were starting to sink in. They were the good kind of nerves, though. Excited nerves. At least after she got married, the strain of planning a wedding would be over, for her at least. Mrs. Weasley had George's November wedding to plan, and in addition, she now had to plan Ron's April wedding and Ginny's May wedding. The next eight months were going to be crazy.

Before Auden went to bed that night, she opened her closet to look at her dress one last time before she'd actually be putting it on. She ran her fingers over the material and smiled.

"Auden?" Her bedroom door opened and her mother stuck her head in. "I just wanted to say goodnight. Make sure you get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."

Auden nodded. "I'll try at least."

"I didn't sleep much before my wedding, either," her mother smiled softly and leaned against the doorway. I kept getting up and reorganizing the bookshelf in my room out of nerves and the frustration of not being able to sleep."

Auden giggled. "So you won't be surprised if I'm cleaning my closet in the middle of the night?"

"Not at all," her mother shook her head. "Have you talked to Fred today?"

"No, he spent the day with George and Lee. They closed the shop and spent the day doing who knows what. And I spent the day with Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Katie, so we were both busy."

"Did you have fun with the girls today?"

"Oh, yes," Auden said. "We visited Hogsmeade, did some shopping, and went to the Three Broomsticks."

"I'm glad you had fun," Mrs. Parker smiled. "Now, try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight," Auden said, watching as her mother closed the door. Once she had gone, Auden climed into bed and tried to sleep. But sleep didn't come. She tossed and turned for an hour and a half, her stomach jittery with excitement. She was just drifting off and was half asleep when her door quietly opened.

"Auden?"

"Fred?" she mumbled, still half asleep.

"Hey," he whispered, kneeling beside her bed and running his hand over her forehead and into her hair.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, turning onto her side so that she could see him better.

"Well, since we aren't allowed to see each other tomorrow up until the wedding, you know, wedding rules, and we didn't see each other all day today, I thought I'd stop in now. It's only 11:30 so I still have time before it's technically our wedding day. I didn't mean to wake you though."

"It's okay," Auden mumbled sleepily as he continued to stroke her hair. "Can you believe we're getting married tomorrow?"

"No," Fred whispered, smiling softly.

"Can you believe your marrying the girl who stole your Bertie Bott's beans when we were toddlers?" Auden smiled.

"Yes, that I can believe," Fred gave a quiet laugh.

Auden smiled again. "Did you have fun with George and Lee today?"

"Yeah, we went to that Muggle village nearby and had a little fun with our newest product."

"Oh no," Auden groaned.

"Oh yes. It was great. Definitely caused a commotion. One woman even ended up climbing a tree."

"What could you possibly have done to make her climb a tree?"

"Well, let's say our new product is called 'Running Rubber Rodents.'"

"Let me guess. They're rubber rodents that you enchanted to look extremely life like and to run around like real rodents to scare people."

"Bingo," Fred whispered.

"You're crazy," Auden sighed.

"You're a real downer," Fred pretended to be hurt.

"I wish I could've seen that woman climb the tree."

"There's the reaction I was looking for," Fred answered quietly, letting out a laugh. "I'll let you get back to sleep. I think I disturbed your beauty rest enough." He kissed her forehead and stood up.

Auden held on to his hand, causing him to turn back to her. "I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled through half closed eyelids.

"It's a date," Fred winked. He let go of her hand and silently slipped out of the room.

All too soon, it was morning, but Auden woke up early without being the least bit tired. Exhaustion would hit her later, though. She immediately opened her window and took a deep breath. The air was just beginning to smell like fall and the weather was perfect. The temperature was on the warm side, but not too hot, and there was a small breeze. Most importantly, the sun was shining brightly.

Hermione, Katie, Luna, and Ginny arrived shortly after, armed with their dresses, shoes, and hair products.

"Sit," Ginny said, gently pushing Auden into the chair in front of her mirror.

"Good morning to you too," Auden said, smiling happily.

"She's known you way too long for proper greetings, Aud, remember?" Hermione asked, grinning. Auden smiled, remembering the time she had gone on her first official date with Fred during her sixth year. Ginny had barged in demanding to know what Auden was doing with her hair without uttering a single hello.

"You got it, Hermione," Ginny answered, pulling out a brush.

"Do I have permission to barge into your room on your wedding day and order you to sit down in front of the mirror?" Auden asked.

"Yes," Ginny said. "It's only fair."

Auden laughed. "Okay, so what were you thinking of doing with this," she gestured to her hair, which had turned slightly wavy from sleeping on it.

"I actually think waves would look nice," Ginny said. She busied herself around Auden's hair while Hermione, Luna and Katie got dressed and did each other's hair.

"When can I see it?" Auden asked. Ginny was standing in front of her, blocking the view of the mirror.

Ginny didn't answer. "Hand me the veil," she ordered, holding out her hand. Hermione passed her the veil and Ginny clipped it to the back of Auden's hair. "Okay, you're done." She moved away from the mirror and Auden grinned, turning her head from side to side as she admired her hair.

"It's beautiful," she said. It was done in small waves and a small section of hair was pinned off to the side.

"Put your dress on," Katie suggested, taking it off the hanger.

Auden put on her dress at the same time Ginny put on hers and fixed her own hair. The bridesmaid dresses were a light blue color that matched the flowers that were being used as centerpieces on the tables. She originally wanted all the flowers to be light blue, but she had changed her mind so that the flowers in the bouquets were white, except for her own, which had two blue flowers in the very center.

"Oh, Auden, you look amazing," Hermione sighed, looking at Auden in the mirror.

"There's just one more thing you need," Luna said. She knelt on the ground and picked up the hem of Auden's dress. "Hold this, please."

Auden held the skirt up. "What are you doing, Luna?"

Luna held up a pale yellow string bracelet. "I'm going to tie this on your ankle. Yellow is a very good color to wear to a wedding. I've told you this before and you've seen me wear yellow to Bill and Ben's weddings. Anyway, it's a good color especially for the bride. It brings good luck and happiness." She adjusted the small yellow daisy in her own hair.

"Thanks Luna," Auden smiled as Luna tied the string bracelet on her ankle.

There was a knock on the door. Katie went to open it and Auden's mother, Mrs. Weasley, Ben, Marnie, and Fleur all charged in at once. Marnie was holding Kaylee, who was wearing an adorable pink dress.

Auden's mother immediately started wiping tears out of her eyes. "I was doing so well up until now," she said. "Just seeing you-," she trailed off and wiped her eyes again.

"It's okay, Mum," Auden assured her. "Don't cry."

Kaylee suddenly let out a small noise of happiness and stretched out her arms towards Auden, who grinned and picked her up out of Marnie's arms. "Hello, Kaylee," Auden cooed. "How are you? You look so pretty!" She kissed the top of Kaylee's head before handing her back to Marnie.

"Everything's ready," Mrs. Weasley said, fixing Auden's dress and handing everyone their bouquets of flowers. "Your father is downstairs waiting. I'm surprised he hasn't passed out from nerves yet."

"Have you seen Fred at all?" Auden asked. She wanted to know how he was doing. Was he as nervous and excited as she was?

"I was just in his room," Ben said. "He went down to the tent just as we came over here."

"But how is he?" Auden asked.

"He's fine," Ben answered slowly.

"What happened?" Auden asked knowingly.

Ben started to laugh. "When I went into his room, he had his shirt on inside out and his hands were shaking so badly, he couldn't tie his tie. Eventually, George had to step in and do it for him."

Ginny completely lost it and began to laugh. "No way," she gasped.

"That is quite unfortunate," Luna added with a straight face.

"George was trying to see how long he would go without realizing his shirt was inside out, so I guess I ruined it when I said something as soon as I walked in."

"Surely George wouldn't have let him go downstairs like that?" Hermione asked.

"I doubt he would have let him go," Katie said, trying to hide her laughter. "He probably would have told him just before he left."

"Who did your hair, Auden?" Fleur asked, gently touching Auden's hair. "Eet eez so pretty."

"That would be me," Ginny said, curtsying.

"Eet looks wonderful," Fleur said.

"How's it going up there?" Auden's father's voice floated up the stairs. "I think we're almost ready to start."

"We're ready," Mrs. Weasley called back.

"Congratulations, little sis," Ben whispered, hugging Auden. "And make sure you don't trip." He smirked as he followed Marnie and Fleur out of the room.

"I'm getting married," Auden said, looking around the room, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Yes, you are," her mother said with a smile. She gave her daughter a hug. "Let's not keep Fred waiting, shall we?" She and Mrs. Weasley led the way out of the room. Katie, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny went next and Auden last.

Her father was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He looked incapable of speaking, but he finally managed to open his mouth. "My little girl," he whispered, squeezing her in a hug.

"Watch out for her hair," Ginny warned.

"Oops, I didn't mess it up, did I?" Her father looked as if one out of place hair would send Auden off on an angry rampage.

"Nope, it's fine," Ginny answered, fluffing the left side of Auden's hair a tiny bit.

They took their places outside at the entrance to the tent.

"You know," Auden's father whispered, as the music began and Katie entered the tent. "It's not too late to back out."

"Of course it is," Auden laughed.

"No it's not. It'll be rather dramatic, but who doesn't like a little drama?" He chuckled to himself.

Auden smiled. "I wouldn't even dream of backing out."

"I know," her father patted her arm and smiled. Hermione and Luna had already started walking down the aisle, and it was almost Ginny's turn.

Auden took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. She was anxious, excited, and nervous all at once. She hoped she didn't trip. She knew Ben had only been joking, but what if she fell on her face? No, she wouldn't; her brain was just overreacting.

Ginny turned around, flashed her a grin and a thumbs up sign before entering the tent.

"Ready?" Mr. Parker asked.

"I think the real question is are _you_ ready?" she whispered back.

"Not at all," her father laughed. He took a deep breath and they turned to face the entrance of the tent.

The music changed and Auden's heart beat faster. It was time.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used for this chapter is **_**I Could Not Ask for More**_** by Edwin McCain. **

**Thanks for all of the reviews! I appreciate every single one of them so much :)**


	31. Chapter 31: It Isn't Too Hard To See

Fred stood at the front of the tent, fidgeting with the ends of his sleeves as he watched Katie walk up the aisle. Three more bridesmaids to go before he would see Auden. Not that he wasn't interested in the bridesmaids at all. It was just that he really needed to see the girl that was going to soon be his wife.

Aunt Muriel was sitting in the second row on the side of the tent closest to Fred. He prayed that she would keep her mouth shut. No such luck, though.

"The dresses look wonderful, Auden made a good choice, but that girl has a bump in her nose."

"Ignore her," Fred whispered to George, who looked ready to give Muriel her own bumpy nose.

"Oh, and isn't that the Granger girl? She looks lovely, but she still has skinny ankles and bad posture," Muriel continued. "Oh, and Xenophilius Lovegood's daughter! I didn't know she was friends with the bride. I've gotten the impression that the Lovegood's are rather odd. Ginevra looks wonderful, of course. Her freckles are really standing out, though. If I were her, I would do something to hide them."

Fred rolled his eyes, but then took a deep breath as Ginny reached the front of the tent. The wait had been killing him, but now in just a few seconds, he'd be able to see her. Finally. His heart beat quickened and he took another deep breath to calm himself. Just then the music changed and after a moment Auden and her father appeared at the tent entrance.

She was beautiful. That was the first thing that went through Fred's head. Of course, Auden had always been beautiful, but today she was even more so. Her hair was done in lovely waves, most likely courtesy of Ginny and she looked absolutely stunning in her dress. It fit her perfectly. _She _was perfect. She was perfect and she was his. The thought sent a crazy thrill through Fred's body. He met Auden's eyes as she slowly walked up the aisle, holding onto her father's arm. Couldn't they walk faster? She smiled at him and he smiled back, his heart beating faster and faster as she walked closer and closer.

Finally, she was in front of him. She kissed her father on the cheek before turning to face Fred. He took both of her hands in his and she smiled sort of shyly at him. He held her hands tighter as the Ministry wizard stood up to speak.

George leaned forward to whisper something into Fred's ear. "I wonder if he's sick of coming over here to marry various members of the same two families."

Fred held back a laugh. The old wizard was smiling happily. He didn't look as if he were tired of all of the weddings, but who knew.

"We are gathered here today," he began in his wheezy voice, "to join Auden Renee Parker and Frederick Gideon Weasley in holy matrimony."

Auden's mouth twitched into a smile at the word 'holy' and Fred had to hold back more laughter. There was also no doubt in his mind that if he turned around, he would see George cracking a huge smile as well.

The Ministry wizard went on with his speech. Fred wished they could just hurry up to the part where they said 'I do.'

Finally, the time came. "The rings, please," said the Ministry wizard. George handed the wizard the wedding rings and he handed the first one to Fred. "Do you, Frederick Gideon Weasley, take Auden Renee Parker to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," he answered, sliding the ring slowly onto Auden's finger. He glanced back up at her face and he saw she had tears in her eyes. A glance over her shoulder showed him that Hermione and Katie were crying as well.

"Do you, Auden Renee Parker," the Ministry wizard continued, handing Auden the second ring, "take Frederick Gideon Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Auden answered, her voice unwavering despite her teary eyes. She now looked as if she almost wanted to laugh. Fred figured it was because she knew how much he hated being called Frederick. He smiled as she took his hand and slid the ring onto his finger.

Fred took both of her hands in each of his own again as the Ministry wizard spoke once more. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

This was the part Fred had been waiting for. He looked down at Auden and smiled. She returned it and Fred dropped one of her hands as he tilted her chin up to kiss her, sliding his hand to her cheek. She threw her arms around his neck and he could feel her smiling and hear the crowd clapping. Fred wanted to run around the yard, yelling as loud as he could. Auden was his wife. They were married. Finally. He wished he could've had the opportunity to say something to her or even kiss her again, but they were almost immediately swarmed with wedding guests congratulating them. Fred watched Auden out of the corner of his eye as he was hugged by countless friends and relatives. She was grinning like an idiot and Fred knew she was as happy as he was.

"Auden, dear," her grandmother said, shuffling forward. "You look absolutely wonderful. I can remember when you were just a baby and you used to try to pull off my earrings every time I held you."

"Sorry about that," Auden laughed, hugging her grandmother.

"And Fred, how are you?" her grandmother pulled Fred into a hug. From the look on his face, he was surprised at how strong this little old woman really was.

"I'm great," he answered.

"Of course you are," Auden's grandmother patted his arm. "You just got married. You should feel great. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go sit down. These old feet aren't what they used to be."

"You go rest so that you can dance later," Auden said with a smile.

"Oh you bet," her grandmother said, shuffling away to a nearby table.

"Here comes Muriel," Fred whispered against Auden's ear. "Brace yourself."

Auden giggled and took a deep breath as Muriel elbowed her way forward. "I wanted to get a closer look at your dress," she said, looking at Auden's dress through squinted eyes.

"Is that all?" Fred asked. "I mean, I'm sure you didn't come all the way over here to congratulate us or anything."

"Well, obviously I did. I didn't think I needed to tell you that when it's already quite obvious. That's what this crowd is for, isn't it? I also wanted to look at her dress, though, if you don't mind," Muriel said, sniffing.

"Maybe I do mind," Fred said under his breath.

"Shh," Auden said quietly. She kept silent as Muriel looked her up and down.

"Hmm, well the fashions have certainly changed since I got married."

Auden smiled and Fred knew she was thinking of the time she and and Ginny had found Muriel's wedding dress in her attic.

"Hmm, well, you look very nice," Muriel said finally.

"Wow, was that a compliment?" Fred asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, I am capable of complimenting people," Muriel said.

"Thank you, Muriel," Auden said.

Muriel nodded before walking away and plopping down in the nearest chair.

"Incredible how she's still alive," Fred sighed.

"That's not nice," Auden scolded with a small smile.

"She insulted Katie, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny as they were walking up here," Fred said.

"Of course she did," Auden sighed. The crowd had finally thinned and she thought she could finally get the opportunity to at least breathe, but no such luck. Mrs. Weasley and her mother had them pose for pictures together, with family, and with their friends. Then, Mrs. Weasley announced that it was time for the dancing to begin.

Fred held out his hand to Auden and she took it. He led her to the middle of the dance floor. He put one hand on her back and held their clasped hands out to the side.

"So, Mrs. Weasley," he said with a smirk, "are you having any regrets?"

Auden giggled. "Never."

Fred rested his forehead against hers and pulled her closer to him. "Good."

"Are you tired?"

"Just a little, but not entirely," she shrugged. Other people were beginning to join them on the dance floor.

"I've been thinking," Fred said, as she rested her head against his chest and he put his chin on top of her head.

"About what?" she asked.

"Well, we're married now, and soon George and Katie will be getting married. We can't all fit in the flat."

"So you want to find a house?" Auden asked.

"Mhm," Fred answered. "I mean the flat does have two bedrooms, but it would be cramped and if we ever have kids…"

"Are George and Katie going to buy their own house, too?"

"Yeah, I think so. I talked to George about it and we were thinking we could just use the flat as storage space or just as a place to use if we ever need to stay the night over there or something."

Auden nodded against Fred's chest. "So we're going to have to start looking for a house."

"Actually, I may have already found one."

Auden pulled her head back to look in Fred's eyes. "What?"

"Yeah," Fred blushed. "It's nice. It's not too far from here and there's another house available just over the hill-,"

"For George and Katie," Auden finished.

Fred nodded. "We don't have to make any decisions now but I'll take you to go see it and we can talk about it."

Auden nodded again. "Are you sure this is what you want? I mean the flat was yours and George's and-,"

"Yeah it was ours when we were living on our own and George and I both agree that it's time to get our own spaces. Of course, we don't want to go too far from each other." He grinned.

"Naturally," Auden smiled.

The song ended and Fred gently pressed his lips to hers. "Want to go sit down?"

Auden grinned. "No, let's dance." A fast song has come on now and all the older people who had danced to the slow dance were now scurrying off to their tables as fast as they could go.

Auden dragged Fred towards Ginny and Harry. Ginny was dancing wildly while Harry awkwardly danced next to her, looking as if he wanted to just go sit down.

"Enjoying yourself?" Auden asked.

"Yes, but you know I don't dance," Harry said.

"Which is why I'm making you do it!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Come on, it's not that hard," Auden bumped her hips into Harry's.

"I don't want to look stupid," Harry mumbled.

"Everyone looks stupid when they dance," Fred shrugged. "Watch." He flapped around like a chicken. Auden laughed and twirled around like a ballerina, waving her arms around gracefully.

Harry laughed. "People are staring."

"Who cares?" Auden asked. "This is my wedding and I can dance however I want."

Harry finally gave in and began doing something that resembled a mix between a line dance and a jig.

"Clearly this is where all of the unique dancers are congregating," George said, joining them with Lee and Katie at his side.

"Why don't you join us?" Fred suggested, still dancing like a chicken.

"Don't mind if we do," George grinned. He, Lee, and Katie started doing a can-can. Katie started laughing and had to duck out from under George's arm so she could compose herself.

Auden giggled and kept twirling around.

"That's the spirit!" Luna said, dancing past them. She was twirling in circles and flapping her wrists in front of her face.

Auden laughed again, harder this time, and she had to stop dancing.

"Come on, keep going!" Fred yelled. He stood behind her and grabbed her arms, holding them straight up in the air and waving them side to side.

Auden turned at the sound of Ginny's laughter to see Muriel hitting George with her handbag.

"What happened?" she mouthed to Ginny.

Ginny couldn't breathe due to her laughter so Harry answered, although it looked like he was going to laugh any moment as well. "George got a little carried away with his can-can and accidentally kicked Muriel in the leg."

"Are you sure it was an accident?" Auden asked, causing Fred to burst into laughter.

"Yeah, Harry, I don't think that was an accident," he said.

"You're probably right," Harry smirked. "I almost forgot who I was talking about."

"She's definitely writing him out of her will if she hasn't already," Auden giggled.

"Eh, doesn't matter," Fred shrugged. "We honestly couldn't care less. In fact, I'm sorry that I wasn't part of the can-can accident."

"The last thing we need is for your great aunt to get injured at our wedding," Auden scolded with a laugh as she turned to face Fred.

"It would be entertainment," Fred argued, shrugging again. "I'm just glad she didn't have anything bad to say about you."

Auden laughed and sighed. "She means well."

"How do you work that one out?" Fred laughed.

"I don't know," Auden shrugged one shoulder. "It's what my mum always says about her."

Fred laughed and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," Auden whispered, leaning up to kiss him on the lips, lightly putting her hand on the side of his neck. When she pulled away, her engagement and wedding rings shone in the sun, making her heart leap with joy. She was married; married to Fred Weasley and she couldn't have been any happier.

* * *

"So it seems like it would be kind of annoying to be moving all of your things twice," Fred said. He was standing in the kitchen doorway of his flat, eating a sandwich as he watched Auden set the box she was holding by the living room window with the others. It was the last box of her things that she had spent the morning moving from her house to Fred's flat. He had started out helping but when there were only two boxes left to move, he had decided to make himself lunch instead.

"Not really," Auden said, dusting off her hands and placing them on her hips. "I mean, you said you had a house in mind, so we'd really only have to buy it and get all that settled, but it's still a process. And we're married, so why shouldn't we be living together? It would actually feel weird living in my parents' house without you. Besides, I'm not really going to unpack a lot of it. Just the necessary stuff until we move out again."

"Well, as long as you don't mind," Fred shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Of course not," Auden answered, stepping over a few boxes as she made her way towards him. She wrapped her arms around him and he set his plate down on top of a box before wrapping his own arms around her in return. She was wearing jeans and one of his old Christmas sweaters. The sweater was too big for her, exposing one of her shoulders as a result. Fred gently rubbed his thumb back and forth over her bare skin as she rested her cheek on his chest.

"Feeling homesick for your old bedroom yet?" he asked suddenly, looking down at her with a smile.

Auden giggled. "Not yet. I'm happy I'm living with you now, though. But on the other hand, we did spend a lot of time in my room just hanging out." She sighed. "It _was_ fun and there were lots of memories. But as I said, I'm glad to be living with you."

"And now we can spend time in _our_ room," Fred said, leaning down and brushing his lips across her forehead. "And even do more than just _hang out_."

Auden laughed and buried her head in his chest to stifle it. Fred broke out into a smile and pulled away so that he could pick up his sandwich again. Auden stretched before slowly lowering her arms and staring around at the boxes. "Maybe it would actually be easier to just transport these to our new house using magic," she sighed.

Fred chuckled. "That's how I said we should have sent them _here_."

"I know," Auden sighed. "But I didn't think it would be as exhausting as it was. I guess I didn't know how many things I actually owned."

Fred smiled and held up his sandwich. "Want something to eat?"

Auden looked at him for a moment, an affectionate smile on her face. "Sure," she finally answered.

"What do you want?" Fred asked, turning and heading back into the kitchen.

"Surprise me," Auden said, following him and hopping up to sit on the counter. She closed her eyes and rolled her neck, trying to get rid of the tension that had come from lifting boxes all morning.

"Here you are," Fred finally said, setting a plate with a pretty delicious looking sandwich on it on the counter next to Auden's hand.

"Thanks," she answered, opening her eyes and smiling at Fred. He smiled back and moved to stand in front of her. She gently ran one of her hands through his hair before leaning forward and kissing him. "And thanks for helping me move my stuff, even if you did quit somewhat early."

"You already had the last box under control!" Fred protested as Auden hopped off the counter and picked up her sandwich. He followed her into the living room and sat next to her before putting an arm around her shoulders. Auden brought her legs up on the couch and positioned them off to the side as she leaned into Fred.

"I know," she grinned as she began to eat.

Fred laughed and kissed her temple before leaning back into the couch cushions. He and Auden had been married for two days and he was still excitedly reminding himself that she was his wife. Even though it was something he had imagined happening for so long, it still hadn't quite sunk in now that it had actually happened. He got a thrill out of looking at the rings on their fingers, remembering that Auden was his and that her last name was now Weasley.

"I love you," he whispered, leaning over and pressing his lips to Auden's cheek, right by her ear.

Auden smiled. "I love you, too," she whispered back, turning to face him. She leaned forward and set her plate on the coffee table before leaning back and snuggling against Fred again. She closed her eyes as she listened to his heart beat, thumping out a steady comforting rhythm in his chest. It was easily one of the best sounds she had ever heard.

* * *

**A/N: I used lyrics from **_**Heaven**_** by Bryan Adams in the chapter title. **

**I hope everyone likes this chapter. I think it's one that everyone's been really waiting for so I hope it doesn't disappoint :)**


	32. Chapter 32:Let's Just Fall In Love Again

"So what do you think?" Fred asked.

It was a week after the wedding and Fred had just taken Auden to see the house that he had found.

The house was a pale yellow color with lots of windows. There was a beautiful porch that took up almost the whole front of the house. Two rocking chairs sat on either side of the door.

"It's wonderful," Auden said, smiling happily. "It's perfect, actually."

"You like it?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, it's gorgeous, but can we see the inside?"

"It's not decorated yet. It's just empty."

"I know that," Auden giggled. "But I don't mind. I want to see it."

Fred led the way to the front door and unlocked it. "After you," he said, gesturing for Auden to walk in first.

She stepped inside and her footsteps seemed unnaturally loud in the emptiness. The floors were completely hardwood and a staircase was directly in front of her. To her right was a room with a fireplace and to her left was a kitchen area. Apparently the house came with appliances because a refrigerator, stove, and oven were in the room.

"So that would obviously be the living room," Fred said excitedly, pointing to the room with the fireplace, "and this would be the kitchen." He led Auden past the staircase, where a hallway connected the living room and kitchen. "This would be the bathroom," he continued, pushing open a door that led off the hallway.

At the back of the living room was a glass door that led to the backyard.

"Let's look upstairs," Auden said with a grin, grabbing Fred's hand and leading him up the stairs.

There were four bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor, which was perfect. The house had plenty of room for Auden, Fred and any future children.

"What did you think?" Fred asked, as he locked the door behind them when they left.

Auden stared at him, grinning. "I love it."

"You do?" Fred asked.

Auden nodded and began talking about different ways they could decorate. She suspected that Fred was only half listening, but she kept talking anyway.

About a week later, Ben, Marnie, and little Kaylee went back to Romania. They weren't staying there for very long, though. They would be back for George, Ginny and Ron's weddings, and soon after, they would come back for good. Auden was thrilled. She never got to see her brother enough when he was away and she also didn't want to miss out on spending time with her niece.

Fred and George ended up buying the neighboring houses, and they agreed that they would move in after George's wedding in November. Until then, Auden was perfectly comfortable living with Fred and George. Katie was staying over most nights as well and while they were comfortable for now, Auden suspected that once they did move into their own houses, it would be wonderful.

The preparations for George and Katie's wedding kept everyone busy. It was as if nobody even got to take a breath after Auden and Fred had gotten married, but finally the date of George's wedding arrived. Naturally, Fred was best man and Auden was a bridesmaid.

"Your mum looks exhausted," Auden said, watching Mrs. Weasley as she talked to Katie's mother. Mrs. Weasley was trying to look full of energy, but it was obvious that she was tired.

"Yeah, all of these weddings kind of happened at once," Fred shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "She loves it, though. It makes her happy, planning these things."

"Is she upset that after May comes, all of her children will have left home?"

"No," Fred shrugged again. "I mean, I'm sure it'll be eerily quiet. There were always a lot of people around before, which meant lots of noise, but we all live close by. Except Charlie, of course. I wish he could come and stay with us as long as Ben did."

"Well, there were lots of reasons for Ben to stay here that he didn't exactly plan, I guess," Auden said. "I mean, with all of the weddings and the baby and plus, he hasn't been in Romania as long as Charlie, so his job hasn't gotten too demanding yet. Besides, he wanted a family."

Fred sighed. "That's the thing about Charlie. I think he's perfectly happy in Romania. I don't think he'd actually want to settle down. He loves working with dragons too much. But as long as he's happy, then I'm happy for him. I just wish I got to see him more often, that's all."

"He was here for our wedding and he's here today," Auden said halfheartedly, even though she knew it wouldn't exactly fix the fact that other than for weddings, Charlie rarely got the chance to visit.

Fred smiled slightly and nodded before resting his hand on Auden's knee and moving his thumb back and forth. "Are you ready to move in next week?"

Auden took a deep breath and nodded. She knew moving in was going to be a lot of work, but she was actually kind of excited. It did help though that they had already bought furniture for their house. They had delivered the boxes to the empty house two weeks previously and they lay just inside the front door, unopened until they actually moved in.

"It should be exciting," Fred grinned.

"You know what I think we should do?" Auden asked, leaning back in her chair and watching Ron and Hermione dancing in a corner of the dance floor.

"What?" Fred asked.

"I think we should move the stuff in without using magic."

"Why?" Fred looked surprised and shocked.

"I think it'll be more fun that way," Auden replied. "Why, are you not up for the challenge?"

"I'm always up for a challenge," Fred scoffed. "What if we got George involved in it, too? We can see who can decorate their house better without using magic."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Let's go tell George now," Fred began to stand up.

"Are you mental? They're in the middle of a dance. We can't go marching up to them and interrupt." Auden pointed to George and Katie, who were dancing in the middle of the dance floor.

"We aren't going to go 'marching up to them' to interrupt," Fred answered. "We're going to casually interrupt." He took her hand and led her to the dance floor, choosing a spot right next to George and Katie. "What a surprise it is to see you here, George," he said as if he were really surprised.

George played along and pretended to be shocked at the sight of Fred. "It is a surprise. I would have never dreamed that you would be here at my wedding."

"Auden and I have a challenge for you and Katie, if you choose to accept it," Fred said, spinning Auden around.

"And what would that be?" George asked.

"Well, as you know, we're moving into our houses next week," Fred began, "and we need to move in and do a lot of unpacking and assembling and decorating."

"Good thing we can do it by magic then," George said.

Fred grinned. "Ah, but that's our challenge. Auden thought it would be fun to decorate and move into our houses without using magic at all, so to make it even more fun, we decided to get you two involved." He nodded his head towards George and Katie.

"So the challenge is to see who can get everything finished and finished correctly without using a single bit of magic?" Katie asked.

"Exactly," Fred grinned.

"You're on," George grinned back, his eyes shining with excitement. "Katie and I will beat you by a landslide."

"We'll see about that, Your Holyness," Fred answered before spinning Auden away to the other side of the dance floor.

"So that was casual interrupting, huh?" she asked. "Impressive."

"I know," Fred answered, readjusting his hand on Auden's lower back and pulling her closer. "I really hope you know what you're doing, though, because I have no decorating knowledge whatsoever."

"I'll handle the decorating, but you have to put together the furniture."

"How do I do that?" Fred asked.

"You read the instructions that come in the box. You're smart, you can figure it out."

"Yeah," Fred nodded nervously. "I mean, how hard can it be?"

* * *

"I hate this dumb instruction manual," Fred grumbled to himself, turning the manual around in his hands.

He was upstairs in the bedroom he and Auden had claimed as their own, trying to assemble the bed they had picked out. His next targets were the coffee table in the living room, the kitchen table, and finally a desk and a bookshelf which would both be going in one of the upstairs rooms that they were making into an office. Luckily, all of the other furniture had been moved in, completely assembled by people from the store where they had bought it.

"Why, did it give you a paper cut?" Auden joked, appearing in the doorway. She was dressed in an old t-shirt of Fred's and a pair of jeans that had a large rip in the right knee, but she still looked amazing. At least, in Fred's opinion she did. He loved when she wore his clothes. She always looked so good in them.

"No, it's just that I can't figure it out. This is going to take me forever and I still have four more pieces of furniture to do after this one. Can we please just use magic? George and Katie will never know."

"That would be cheating," Auden giggled.

"You're in a good mood because all you have to do is go around the house arranging cushions and putting pictures on the mantle," Fred mumbled.

"Which is also very hard work," Auden replied, shooting him a look. "I mean, everything has to look just right. And I've already hung up a few pictures on the wall using a hammer and a nail, just like Muggles do. And also, do you know how much stuff we have between the two of us? There's a lot of stuff to unload."

"Uh-huh," Fred answered, turning the manual over again.

There was a knock at the front door and Auden turned slightly towards the sound. "It's probably George. Do you want me to go answer it?"

"Yeah, I want to know how he's getting along with everything."

Auden disappeared and Fred could hear her footsteps on the stairs. Moments later he could hear her and George's voices as they returned to the bedroom.

"Well, you're doing a lot better than I am," George announced, surveying the room.

"George, all of the pieces are lying on the floor. I haven't even attempted to put anything together yet," Fred said. "How can I possibly be doing better?"

"I haven't even opened the box yet, that's how," George laughed, leaning against the wall. "I have no idea where to even begin with this. Katie's having the time of her life, though."

"So is she," Fred jerked his head towards Auden, who was now fluffing a pillow on the window seat across the room.

"What if we just give up on the whole thing and just use magic?" George asked.

"Are you giving up on a challenge?" Auden teased, her eyes widening as she glanced over at them.

"No," Fred said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to figure this out if it takes me all night."

"You'll need to figure it out sooner than that," Auden said with a grin as she left the room. "We need somewhere to sleep tonight."

Fred groaned and flopped onto the floor. "George, I think we're both just going to have to admit defeat."

"You know Auden and Katie will laugh at us for giving up," George raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like to see them put these things together," Fred answered, sitting up again.

"Mm," George agreed, pushing himself away from the wall. "Although, they'd probably surprise us and put everything together in record time."

"That would be shameful," Fred shook his head, "for us at least."

George laughed and nodded in agreement. "I'd better get back before Katie marches over here herself to get me."

Fred waved absentmindedly as George left the room. Auden returned a few minutes later to check on him.

"Made lots of progress I see," she teased, kneeling behind him and sliding her arms around his neck.

"You're not helping this move along any faster," Fred said quietly, leaning his head back on his shoulder. "Oddly enough, I don't mind."

"I didn't think you would," Auden answered, lightly kissing his cheek.

"You know what I think?" Fred asked, turning his head to look at her.

"What do you think?" Auden asked, smiling slightly.

"I think that you look amazing in my clothes," he said, tugging on the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing. Auden blushed and Fred smirked before continuing. "Want to know what else I think?"

"What else?" she asked.

"That we should just use magic," Fred answered.

"No," Auden smiled wider and let go of Fred. He let out a groan of disappointment.

Auden was now crawling around him to get to the instruction manual. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'll help you and we'll do this together."

"Good luck," Fred mumbled as she picked up the instruction manual.

By the time the sun was beginning to set that night, Auden had Fred had managed to assemble all of the furniture that needed to be put together and decorate the rest of the house.

After dinner, Auden's parents stopped by to see the finished product.

"Well, here's the kitchen and the living room," Auden told her mother as she gestured to the two rooms. Fred had started a fire in the fireplace and the light was bouncing off of the glass in the picture frames on the mantle.

Auden's mother walked down the line of pictures, smiling. The first one was the one taken just a few years ago, where everyone had napkins on their heads. The second one was one of Harry, Ron, Auden and Hermione taken at Hogwarts during their first year outside by the lake. The third one was of Fred and George during their seventh year, sitting at their favorite table in the common room, smiling at the camera and lounging with their feet up on the chairs across from them. The fourth picture was one from Auden and Fred's wedding. They were standing facing each other and smiling. The next picture was of Auden and Ron on their first day of Hogwarts, standing in front of the Burrow, their arms around each other. Next was a picture of Fred, George and Lee. The last picture was a picture of the Hogwarts Quidditch team during Auden's third year.

"This one's my favorite," Fred said, pointing to the one of Auden and Ron on their first day of school.

"I like that one, too," Mrs. Parker smiled as she looked at it.

"Why is that one your favorite?" Auden asked Fred. "You aren't even in it."

"I know, but I just think you look really cute in it," Fred shrugged. "It was your first day of school. You were excited and you have a beautiful smile."

Auden smiled and blushed. She stood with her arms around Fred as her parents surveyed the living room and the kitchen. More pictures, including the one of Auden and her brother, sat on the end table next to the couch along with a lamp. "It looks wonderful, honey," her father said finally.

"Thanks," Auden answered.

"Well, you've had a busy day, so I think it's time for us to get going," Mr. Parker stood up and gave Auden a hug and shook Fred's hand. Auden's mother hugged them both.

"It's so strange that you've moved out for good," she said, giving Auden a sad smile, "but we're really happy for you."

"Thanks Mum," Auden said with a smile before her parents disapparated with a crack.

"So, I think we did a great job," Fred said, kissing the top of her head.

"We?" Auden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, 'we'," Fred answered.

"I see, and what exactly did you do, since, you know, I did the decorating?" Auden looked up at him with a smirk.

"I put together that coffee table, and the kitchen table, and the bookshelf and…." He trailed off when he saw the look on Auden's face. "With your help, of course," he finished.

Auden laughed and leaned up to kiss him. "You were a great help. I couldn't have done it without you."

"I know you couldn't have," Fred answered, smiling and brushing her cheek with his hand.

Auden swatted him and sat down on the couch. Fred sat next to her and she curled her legs under her and leaned against him. Fred put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed his thumb back and forth over the fabric of her t-shirt…well, technically his t-shirt.

"We have our own house," Auden stated, staring into the fire. "I can't believe it."

"Believe it," Fred answered, his cheek resting against the top of her head.

Auden moved her gaze from the fireplace to the pictures on the mantle. She couldn't stop looking at them.

"Where did you put the picture I gave you for Christmas?" Auden asked. Fred had insisted on taking the picture frame and putting it wherever he wanted in the house.

"On the desk in the office room. I thought I would use that room a lot for inventing when I'm home and your copy would be in our bedroom."

Auden nodded. "I wonder how George and Katie did with their decorating," she said thoughtfully.

"Probably not as good as us," Fred answered, shaking his head.

"I agree," Auden answered, stifling a yawn.

"Alright, I think it's bedtime," Fred said, patting her shoulder twice and stifling his own yawn.

Auden stood up and grabbed Fred's hand to help him up. "Doing things the Muggle way is exhausting, isn't it?" she asked, smirking.

"Yeah, but it was worth it. I learned a lot," Fred answered, as they walked up the stairs, holding hands.

"So you could put together any piece of furniture without magic and blindfolded?" Auden asked.

"Blindfolding me would be going a bit too far," Fred answered, wrinkling his nose.

Auden giggled. They reached the bedroom and climbed into bed.

"Goodnight," Fred said, grinning. "I love you."

"Goodnight and I love you too," she whispered back, kissing him gently.

She put her wand on the nightstand and turned off the light. The last thing she saw before the room went dark was the picture of her and Fred dancing in the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story or added it to their story alerts. You guys are awesome!**

**Anyway, the song I used for this chapter is **_**Let's just Fall In Love Again**_** by Jason Castro.**

**Also, a reviewer asked how old Auden is now and in case anyone else was wondering too, she's 21 and Fred's 23.**


	33. Chapter 33: Love Like This

By the end of September the following year, Harry and Ginny as well as Ron and Hermione had gotten married and bought houses of their own. This did nothing to stop or even put a dent in Auden's relationship with any of her friends. They still made time to see each other whenever they could. It was weird not living within walking distance of the Burrow, but Auden found herself getting used to the change easily.

Bill and Fleur had just had their third child, Louis, about two months earlier. Victoire was only a few years old and Dominique was only a year but both girls already showing a striking resemblance to Fleur, while Louis looked more like Bill.

Percy's wife was pregnant with their second child and was due in February. Ben had written from Romania to say that Marnie was also pregnant again and due in January. Ben seemed positive that it would be a boy this time, but they hadn't actually gotten the information for sure. Marnie wanted to be surprised. They were also moving back home after the second child was born.

"So," Ginny began, setting a cup of tea in front of Auden one morning. The two girls were at Ginny's house. Auden was flipping through the Prophet, carefully avoiding the section she wrote for. Depending on her mood, she would either read or skip over her writing. Today, she felt like skipping it.

"So what?" Auden asked, putting down the paper as Ginny sat down across from her, cradling her own cup of tea in her hands.

"So I never got to ask you about your anniversary. A full one year of marriage. It was a couple of weeks ago. What did you two do?"

"Well," Auden smiled at the memory. "We went out to dinner. Fred didn't want to attempt cooking. The last time we tried, the kitchen ended up full of water and we almost burnt the food."

Ginny giggled. "And you and Fred were on the floor, completely distracted."

Auden smiled and shrugged. "What can I say?"

"So you went out to dinner; how was that?" Ginny asked.

"It was great," Auden answered. "Then, we came home and Fred put on music and we danced and then, well…"

"Well what?" Ginny asked, giving Auden a look.

"Well, let's just say we stopped dancing," Auden smirked.

"Okay, I get it, you can spare me the details," Ginny laughed.

Auden just smiled and drank more of her tea.

The next morning, Auden woke up not feeling well. She forced herself to get up early to make breakfast for herself and Fred. They always ate breakfast together before he left for work, but today, as she cooked, the food didn't look appetizing to her at all. She felt sick just looking at it.

"Good morning," Fred said cheerily, coming up behind her and hugging her. He began kissing her neck.

Normally, Auden would have reacted, but today, she only gave a small "good morning" in return.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Fred gently turned her around so that she was facing him.

"I don't know, I just feel kind of off today," Auden said. "I'm sure I'll be fine, though." She smiled and turned back to the eggs she was making.

"Maybe you should go see a Healer. Just in case," Fred said. His face was full of concern as he poured himself a glass of milk.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Auden answered.

"Maybe, but I would still go if I were you," Fred answered, kissing her cheek. "Just get it checked out."

"I have an article to write."

"If you're sick, the article can wait," Fred said, giving her a stern look.

After they ate breakfast, Fred left for work. He cupped Auden's cheek in his hand as he kissed her goodbye.

"Have a good day," she said, smiling.

"You too and feel better," he answered, pointing a finger at her.

After Fred left, Auden tried lying down for a little while, but it wasn't working. Her breakfast felt like it was threatening to come back up. Suddenly, her conversation with Ginny from the day before came back to her and she sat up. She had a hunch, and she thought that it might be a good idea to see the doctor after all.

* * *

Later that day, just before dinnertime, Auden returned home and immediately made a beeline for the kitchen. She put the bag that she was carrying on one of the chairs and started cooking dinner. Fred would be home soon and she was going to have to tell him the news.

A popping sound came from the yard and Auden's mouth twisted into a smile. He was home.

"It sure smells great in here," Fred said, entering the kitchen.

"I'm making your favorite," Auden answered.

"Why, what's the occasion?" Fred asked, leaning against the counter next to her. "It's not our anniversary. I know I didn't forget that." He smirked at her.

"You certainly didn't," Auden answered, smiling.

"It's not your birthday," Fred continued, "and it's not _my_ birthday. So, what's up?"

Auden grinned, but kept her mouth shut. She didn't look up from her cooking.

"What is it? Tell me," Fred begged, laughing.

"Be patient," was all she said.

"I guess you're feeling better if you're acting like this," Fred answered.

"Like what? And I am feeling a little better."

"You're driving me mad with all of this teasing and the secrets. I'm glad you're feeling better though. Did you go to the doctor? Will you at least tell me that?"

"I did," Auden replied with a smile. She set the dinner on the table, where it sat, steam rising into the air in small wisps.

"What did he say?" Fred asked. He remained leaning against the counter, staring at Auden intently.

Auden picked up the bag from the chair and handed it to him. "Open it."

Fred stared at her. "I don't understand. Can't you just tell me what's going on?"

"Just open the bag," Auden said quietly, motioning towards it.

Fred kept his eyes on hers as he began to open the bag. Finally, he looked down and reached inside, pulling out a book. "What's this? A book of baby names?" He looked back at Auden, blinking a few times.

Auden nodded slowly. Either he didn't get it, or he was just in shock.

Fred glanced down at the book and back at Auden. "Does this mean-?"

"Yeah," Auden whispered, breaking into a smile. "You're going to be a father. I'm pregnant." She bit her lip while she waited for Fred to react.

Fred shook his head as if he were trying to clear water out of his ears. "I'm going to be a dad?" he repeated questioningly.

Auden nodded. "Yeah, you are."

Fred tossed the book onto the table and grabbed Auden in a hug, spinning her around. She giggled again and kissed him forcefully once he had put her down.

"Wow, I can't believe there's a baby growing in there." Fred lightly touched her stomach.

Auden placed her hand on top of his. "I know. Our baby," she whispered.

"Have you told your parents yet?" Fred asked, as they sat down at the table.

"No, I didn't have time, first of all. Secondly, it's only right that I tell you first. I mean, you're the father."

"So how are we going to tell them?" Fred asked.

Auden thought for a second. "Well, they invited us over for dinner next week. Why don't we tell them then?"

Fred nodded. "Sounds good. Can I tell George about this?"

"Typically I think I'm supposed to wait a few months before I say anything in case something goes wrong with the baby, so I think we should wait. My parents and yours are fine, but I think we should wait for everyone else."

"You told _me_."

"You're my husband," Auden answered. "I want to tell George, but we can't yet and plus, if we tell too many people, it'll get out and I'd rather people heard the news from us."

"I understand," Fred nodded. "I'll hold off on telling George. Do you have any idea how hard that'll be, though? We don't hide anything from each other."

"I know, but will you try?" Auden smiled.

"Of course I will. Oh, and nothing will go wrong with the baby." He stood up from his chair and moved closer to Auden. "This is our baby and our baby is invincible."

Auden smiled. "I doubt anything will happen, but it's just a precaution that people are supposed to take."

Fred nodded again and traced his finger in a circle on Auden's stomach. "We're having a baby!" he exclaimed, his mouth forming a huge grin.

Auden returned the grin excitedly. "I know!"

Fred leaned down and kissed her forehead before starting to clear the dishes. "You go sit and relax. I'll do the dishes."

"Fred, I'm just pregnant. It doesn't make me incapable of doing the dishes. Besides, you hate doing dishes."

"Ah, but I have this." Fred pulled out his wand and twirled it. "It'll only take a second."

"Then I'll stand here and wait while you do them since it'll _only take a second_."

"Don't you have an article to write?" Fred teased.

"It managed to wait all day. It can wait one _second_ longer."

"Seriously, go rest."

"No, I'll wait."

"You're stubborn," Fred muttered, beginning to do the dishes by magic. He smirked at her. "And your attitude is alarming sometimes."

"It's only going to get worse," Auden reminded him in a singsong voice, placing a hand on her stomach.

"Oh, no," Fred groaned. "Maybe I'll consider moving in with George for nine months."

"You'll do no such thing," Auden said, her eyes widening.

"Aud, it was a joke," Fred answered quickly, widening his own eyes.

"Right," Auden said, sinking into a chair. "I knew that. I just-," she stopped and looked up at Fred. "I'm really excited, but I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. I mean, obviously I've never done this before and I need you here."

"Of course I'm going to be here," Fred whispered, kneeling down in front of her. He smiled. "Really, though, I had no idea the mood swings started so soon. You just switched between emotions in record time."

Auden groaned and leaned forward, resting her forehead on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry right now and I'm sorry in advance for all the times I'll snap at you in the next nine months."

"I can take it," Fred whispered.

Auden grinned and sat up again. "Love you, Freddie."

"Love you, too, Aud."

* * *

A week later, Auden and Fred Apparated into the front yard of Auden's parent's house. A house that used to be Auden's up until a year ago.

"How do you think they'll react?" Fred asked.

"Well, my mum will probably freak out, and my dad will go into shock."

"So, similar to how they acted when we told them we were engaged?"

"Yeah. My mum will probably start buying clothes and things right away."

"But we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl."

"I don't want to know, either," Auden answered. "I want it to be a surprise. By the way, though, they sell clothes that can be worn by a boy or a girl. My mom knows this and like I said, she'll probably get started right away."

"Hello!" Auden's mother yelled, hurrying out from the kitchen as Auden and Fred entered the house. She grabbed them both in a tight hug and dragged them into the kitchen. "Sit, make yourself comfortable."

"Where's dad?" Auden asked, taking a seat next to Fred.

"He'll be here any minute. He's running a little late from work. Dinner will be ready shortly so he better hurry up."

Auden's dad arrived about ten minutes later, just as dinner was being put on the table. "It smells delicious," he said as he kissed his wife and hugged Auden and Fred.

"It better taste as good as it smells. I worked hard on this," Mrs. Parker said, sitting down across from Auden and Fred.

"Does anyone want a drink?" Auden's dad asked. "Butterbeer? Firewhiskey?"

Auden and Fred looked at each other and Fred put a comforting hand on Auden's knee. She turned to her dad. "I'll just have water."

"Water, really?" her dad raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm not drinking either of those other drinks, especially firewhisky," she answered, clearing her throat.

"Okay," her father said slowly. He shrugged and went to get her a glass of water. "Fred?"

"Butterbeer," he answered.

Auden glanced at her mother, who was squinting at her. She knew something was up, which was what Auden had hoped. She gave her mother a look and smirked.

"Are you-?" her mother tilted her head and her eyes grew wide.

Auden nodded as her grin grew wider. She felt Fred pat her knee.

Mrs. Parker screamed and jumped up from the table. Mr. Parker jumped and whirled around to face them. "What's going on?" he asked as Mrs. Parker hugged Auden.

"Oh, congratulations dear," she said excitedly. "I'm so happy for you!"

"What happened?" Auden's dad asked.

"And you too, Fred!" Auden's mother was hugging Fred now.

"Thanks," he said with a small laugh.

"Will someone explain what is going on?" Mr. Parker asked. He was standing near the sink with a glass of water and a butterbeer in his hands.

"Oh, be quiet, _grandpa_," Mrs. Parker finally answered her husband, swatting him on the arm.

"Grandpa?" he asked. "Ben and Marnie aren't even here."

Mrs. Parker rolled her eyes at Auden and Fred. "He'll catch on in a moment."

"Wait, so does that mean-?" he glanced at Auden's stomach.

"Yeah, Dad, Fred and I are having a baby."

"A baby?"

"Yeah," Fred smirked, "a miniature, bald, toothless human being."

"Oh Auden, dear, that's wonderful!" Her father put the drinks down and hugged her. "I can't believe it!"

"It's true," Auden said with a smile and a shrug.

"When did you find out?" her mother asked.

"Last week."

"Have you told Molly and Arthur?"

"No," Auden answered. "Not yet."

"If you tell my mum, the whole world will know within an hour," Fred stabbed the food on his plate. "And Auden doesn't want everyone else to know just yet. _And _she wants them to hear it from us."

"You have to tell her, though."

"Of course," Auden said, "but we just risk the rest of the family finding out as well."

"Have you considered any names yet?"

"We've started looking," Auden said. "I bought Fred a baby name book when I broke the news to him so every night we look through a few pages in the book."

"Anything stand out to you?" Mr. Parker asked.

"No, not really," Auden shrugged. "Not yet, anyway."

"Well I'm sure you'll think of something," her mother shrugged.

"You know, Fred Jr. would be a great name," Fred said. He looked at Auden's mother. "I keep saying that but she doesn't seem too thrilled."

"It's nothing against you, of course, but I just wanted something different. Plus, what if it's a girl?"

"Fredina?" Fred asked, shrugging one shoulder.

"Lovely," Auden answered, rolling her eyes as her parents laughed.

"Like I said," Auden's mother managed to say, "I'm sure you'll think of a wonderful name."

* * *

As expected, Mrs. Weasley was even more hysterical than Auden's mother at their news. In a good way, of course. Mr. Weasley was more calm about it, but still happy nonetheless. Fred's suspicions that his mother wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut also turned out to be true, as Auden found out a few days later when Ginny, Hermione, and Luna apparated directly into her house while Fred was at work and while she was writing her newest article at the kitchen table.

"That's really polite of you," Auden said sarcastically, taking a breath to calm down.

"I think you have news to tell us," Ginny said, sitting down at the table with Auden.

Auden looked at the three girls blankly for a minute before laughing softly and shaking her head. "How did you find out?"

"My mother told me," Ginny said. "Then I told Hermione and Luna. Harry and Ron know too."

"What, did your mother tell the whole family?"

"Yeah, basically," Ginny shrugged. She broke into a smile. "I want to hear you say it though."

Auden sighed. "Ginny," she groaned, breaking into a smile herself.

"Come on," Ginny pleaded. "Two words. It's not that hard."

"Fine," Auden laughed. "I'm pregnant. Are you happy?"

"Yes!" Ginny squealed. "I'm going to be an aunt!" She paused. "Again!" she added.

"Are you eating lots of radishes?" Luna asked.

"No, why? Should I be eating them?" Auden asked. She blinked at Luna a few times in confusion.

"Well, they do help to make sure the Nargles and Wrackspurts stay away from the baby."

"Er, won't all my skin and muscle and everything do that?" Auden asked.

"Not necessarily," Luna answered seriously. "When the radishes in my garden finish growing I'll bring you some."

"Sure, if you want to," Auden answered, noticing Luna was still wearing her radish earrings that she used to wear in school. It made sense why she wore them, now. They probably kept the Nargles away.

"Radishes are probably good for you, but to keep you and the baby healthy," Hermione said, in that familiar know it all tone. "It's important to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables."

"I know. My mother's been coming over a lot and telling me what to make for dinner. It's like I never moved out." Auden laughed.

"So how are you feeling?" Ginny asked.

"Fine, actually. I still feel kind of sick in the morning, but I haven't actually thrown up, which is good."

Ginny and Hermione were nodding excitedly and Luna was smiling. There was a popping sound in the yard and the door burst open. Katie was standing there, looking around excitedly. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked when she saw Auden. "George just stopped home for a few minutes and he told me."

Auden groaned. "I wasn't going to tell everyone right away, but I guess everyone's already found out."

"Of course everyone found out. Nothing stays a secret for long in this family," Hermione answered, rolling her eyes.

Auden laughed and rolled her eyes too. "I probably should be used to it by now."

Two months later, it was really obvious that Auden was pregnant. She went to the doctor for a check-up. Fred had volunteered to come, but she had told him that she could handle it and she told him to just go to work.

"I feel like I look a lot more pregnant than I thought I would be," Auden told the doctor at the end of the visit, looking down at her stomach. "Maybe it's just me, though."

The doctor was smiling at her. "It's not you. This is normal, at least for what you're expecting anyway."

"Am I expecting a giant pumpkin?" Auden asked with a snort.

"No," the doctor said with a laugh. "The reason for this is actually the news I was just going to tell you. You aren't expecting a giant pumpkin, but you aren't expecting just one baby either. You're going to have triplets."

Auden's mouth dropped open. Triplets? That meant three babies. She was going to have three babies.

"Triplets?" she squeaked.

The doctor nodded. "Congratulations. If you want to know their genders I can tell you."

"No, I want to be surprised," Auden answered, still trying to get her mind caught up. She was having triplets. She was already thinking what a handful they would be if they were anything like their father and uncle. Even one baby would be a handful with Fred and George as relatives, but three of them!

"Good choice," the doctor said. "Anyway, you're free to go now and congratulations once again."

"Thanks," Auden said.

Instead of going home, she went directly to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She wanted to tell Fred right away. Seriously, what were the odds that she would be having triplets when her husband himself was a twin? Now that she had gotten her mind wrapped around the concept, she found it amusing and she knew Fred and George would as well.

* * *

"Look who's here," George nudged Fred and gestured to Auden, making her way through the shop. "The girl who swallowed a watermelon." They were standing at a shelf towards the back of the shop restocking items.

Fred gave a small laugh. "She had a doctor's appointment today. I hope everything's okay."

"Looks like it to me," George answered. "She looks like she's actually going to burst a lung from holding in laughter."

"Hi," Auden said with a smile as she reached them. "I have news." She stood on her tiptoes to give Fred a quick kiss.

"Do you need me to leave?" George asked. "If you two need a moment alone-,"

"No, I want you to hear the news too, George."

"Is everything okay?" Fred asked, tilting her chin up so that she was looking into his face. She definitely didn't look upset.

"Everything is wonderful," she answered, kissing him again.

"Okay, so tell us, what's so wonderful?" he asked.

Auden looked from him to George and back again. "Well, the first bit of good news is that I'm healthy and I'm not giving birth to a giant pumpkin."

"That's not good news," Fred joked as George laughed. "I was really hoping for a pumpkin child."

Auden swatted him. "The real news, though, is that I'm having triplets."

George stopped laughing and Fred blinked. There were three children growing inside of his wife right now. Three. It was like they had completely bypassed the typical amount of one child, skipped over two and settled on three.

"Wow," George whistled.

"I thought it was kind of funny," Auden said. "I mean, you two are twins and now I'm giving birth to triplets. The odds of that are weird."

"Definitely," Fred answered, smiling. The initial shock was wearing off now and he did think it was kind of funny. "You know, George, we're going to have our hands full teaching these children every prank in the book and then some."

"McGonagall's going to go mental when they get to Hogwarts," George laughed.

"Fred and George Weasley," Auden pointed a finger at them. "These children are not going to be raised as little terrors."

"They won't be little terrors," Fred pretended to be insulted. "They'll be expert pranksters just like their father and uncle. Honestly, you sound like my mother."

Auden smiled. "I keep picturing three little versions of you two running around and terrorizing Hogwarts."

"Ah, but what if they're girls?" Fred asked.

"Girl versions of you two," Auden shrugged.

"That's a strange mental image," George wrinkled his nose.

Auden shook her head. "Well, I'll let you get back to work, then. Those shelves aren't going to fill themselves."

"You can stay and hang out if you want," Fred suggested, not wanting her to leave.

Auden shook her head. "I really shouldn't. I have to get home, but I'll see you tonight," she tapped Fred's nose. "And George, I'll probably be seeing you soon."

"Yeah, it's not like we're neighbors or related through marriage or anything," George shrugged. "But you be careful and take care of yourself. Those are my nieces in there. Or nephews. Or even both."

Auden laughed and kissed Fred goodbye.

"Wait, I have to say goodbye to the babies," he said as she turned away. He knelt down and pressed a hand to Auden's stomach, not caring if anyone saw. "Hi, babies, it's me, Fred. I'm your dad. You're about to go home with your mum now, but if you can hear me, I wanted you to know that Uncle George and I are going to teach you a bunch of cool things and I also wanted you to know that I love you a lot."

He stood up and looked at Auden, who was looking at him with a smile on her face. "You're going to be a great father," she said. With one last wave at George, she turned around, blew a kiss to Fred over her shoulder, and left the shop.

She had said he was going to be a great father. The fact that she thought this made Fred the proudest he had been since the day he and George had opened the joke shop.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! The song I used for this chapter is ****_Love Like This _****by Natasha Bedingfield.**


	34. Chapter 34: You and Me

Being pregnant was not fun, as Auden soon came to realize. She waddled everywhere she walked and she always had to pee. Her legs got a lot of cramps and she always wanted to just sit down. She had still been able to work, but she was going to be working completely from home from now on, even after the babies were born so that she could take care of them. All she had to do was send in her articles by owl.

Another thing about being pregnant was that she got the weirdest cravings. Lately, she had wanted nothing but cheeseburgers. She had always liked cheeseburgers even though she never ate them often, but now they were almost all she ever wanted. Fred had attempted to cook her one on his own, but he had burnt it and had instead gone out to buy her one. He just wasn't cut out for cooking without someone's assistance.

Other than that, Fred had been wonderful throughout the whole thing. He hadn't complained once; not when he had to run out and get her cheeseburgers, not when she was crabby and tired, and not when, together, they had decorated one of the rooms upstairs into a nursery

There were some highlights to the pregnancy, though. The first time she felt the babies kick had been one. It was one night after dinner and she was sitting on the couch next to Fred, who was reading the newspaper while she worked on an article she was writing. Suddenly, she felt one of the babies kick. She froze for a moment, but when she went back to her article she felt it again. "Fred?"

"What is it?" Fred looked up right away. "Do you need something?"

"No, but—hold on let me show you." She picked up his hand and placed it over her stomach.

"What exactly is supposed to happen?" Fred asked.

"Shh, just wait," she whispered. A few seconds later, there was another kick.

Fred's mouth dropped open and his eyes filled with excitement. He flung the newspaper aside and turned on the couch to face her, putting his other hand on her stomach. "They're kicking!"

Auden nodded. "Talk to them. Maybe they'll do it again."

Fred looked down at her stomach. "Hi there my little bald, toothless human beings," he whispered with a smirk. He rubbed his thumbs gently back and forth over Auden's stomach. There was another kick, harder this time.

"They didn't like that," Auden laughed. Another kick.

"They recognize our voices," Fred whispered in awe.

"Of course they do," Auden said with a smile.

Fred let out a happy laugh and kissed her gently. There was a series of small kicks.

Another positive thing that had happened was that in November, Katie had found out that she was also pregnant. She was going to be due in August and now it was turning into a running joke that Fred and George would only naturally have children born only a few months apart. Fred called George and Katie copycats, but he was really very excited that his twin was also going to be a dad.

Finally, Auden's nine months of pregnancy were almost up. It was the first day of June and it was hot. Auden was due any day now, but today she was hot and cranky and she wanted to get these babies out of her. They hadn't even been born yet and they were already putting her nerves to the test.

She was sitting at the window seat in the living room when Fred came home. "How are you and my three little children?" he asked, kissing her hello and patting her stomach.

"Tired and hot," she answered, resting her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.

"I know, but you're almost done," Fred said comfortingly, rubbing her forehead.

"How was your day?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

"It was fine," he answered, sitting on the edge of the window seat. "I have some news though, and it's good and bad at the same time."

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him. "What is it?"

"Well, there's a wizard in another town a few miles from here who's retiring and selling the building where he kept his business. I don't even know what kind of business it was, but he's selling the building and George and I are going to go look at it to see if we could open a branch of our shop there."

"That's great! Would we have to move?"

"No, we don't have to move," Fred answered. "We'll hire other people to be in charge of that store if we end up buying the place."

"Then what's the bad news?"

"The bad news is that I'm leaving on Saturday to go meet with him."

"That's two days from now," Auden said. "The babies are due any day. How long will you be gone?"

"I come home on Tuesday afternoon. Our meeting with the guy is on the Monday. He wants us to give a sort of mini presentation about our shop. I guess he wants us to put the building to good use or something, but he seemed interested when we told him we owned a joke shop."

"Fred," she croaked. She swallowed before continuing. "I'm really happy, but you can't leave now." She felt scared and nervous. What if she went into labor and he wasn't home? "I need you here," she whispered.

Fred smiled softly and rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "I'm hoping the babies will hold out until I get back," he said, crossing his fingers.

"Are you kidding me? They're your children. They'll get a laugh out of causing us stress," Auden groaned.

"They're your children too so maybe they won't," Fred smirked.

Auden gave a small laugh, but she was still terrified.

"Do you want me to reschedule?" Fred asked.

Auden looked at him. She knew that rescheduling would be a big inconvenience and the man selling the building couldn't wait forever. Fred and George might miss their chance if Auden made them wait. She sighed. "No, go this weekend. I'll be fine. I'll have my mother come stay with me or something."

Fred smiled. "Yeah, do that. I'd feel better too if someone were here with you."

"Me too," Auden answered, giving a small smile. "Although, I'd rather have it be you. I swear, if you miss the birth of our first child—children, I mean—I'll kill you."

"Ah, you don't mean that. It's just the hormones talking."

"No, it's not," Auden answered, glaring at him. When Fred smiled, she sighed again and leaned her head back against the wall. "Fine, maybe I won't kill you, but I'll lock you in the basement for a week."

"I love you," Fred said sweetly, leaning in for a kiss.

"I love you too," Auden said with a sigh. "I'll be glad when this pregnancy's over though."

"That bad?" Fred asked.

"It's not really all that bad, but I'm just tired of all of these little side effects."

"Like the cheeseburgers?"

"Yeah, like that. Speaking of cheeseburgers…" Auden looked at Fred and smiled sweetly.

"After you just threatened to kill me?"

"Yes," Auden answered, still smiling. She batted her eyelashes at him.

Fred laughed and stood up. "I'll go get some."

"Are you sure? I can probably survive without one just this once. Probably. I hope."

Fred laughed again. "It's fine. I'll go get you one."

Auden smiled as he disapparated. She picked up a book she had tossed down by her feet and continued to read while she waited for him to return.

* * *

On the morning that Fred left, Auden's mother came over, with her bag packed for the next three and a half days. "Good morning," she announced, as cheery as ever.

"You're in a good mood," Auden observed, giving her mother a hug.

"I am," she answered, going to hug Fred.

"Okay, I think I have everything," Fred said, checking his bags. "I've got to hurry, though. I'm supposed to meet George at the shop so we can pick up a few things." He glanced at his watch.

"Have a good trip," Auden said as Fred tried to hug her. Her stomach awkwardly got in the way, though.

"Look at that, they're interrupting, just like their Uncle Ron," Fred said with a laugh. He put his mouth near Auden's stomach. "You don't want to be like Uncle Ron, babies. You want to be like daddy and Uncle George. We're the better members of the family."

"Ron has grown up to be a perfectly lovely young man," Auden's mother said.

"Did you just use 'Ron' and 'grown up' in the same sentence?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I did," she answered.

"Do you honestly believe that sentence, mum?" Auden asked.

"No," her mother replied, laughing.

"I didn't think so," Fred mumbled. "Okay, I really have to go now." He gave Auden a kiss. "Bye, I love you, be safe, and you ladies have fun. Not too much fun, though." He grinned as he grabbed his bags.

"Oh, I'm sure 'girl who swallowed a watermelon' will be a real pleasure," Auden said, using the name George had been calling her.

"Now it's more like you swallowed a small boulder," Fred answered.

"Go," Auden told him, pointing at the door and giving him a look. It didn't last long, though. Her face cracked into a smile a moment later.

With a wave, Fred walked outside and Auden heard him disapparate a few seconds later.

"So, how have you been?" Mrs. Parker asked.

"Fine, mum, you just saw me yesterday," Auden laughed.

"I know, but I'm just asking," her mother hurried into the kitchen. "I'll cook you dinner. You just relax. And we aren't having cheeseburgers. Instead, we'll have something healthy."

"I have been eating healthy besides the cheeseburgers and I only end up having about one a week anyway. Usually I just try to ignore the dumb cravings."

"I know you have. It's difficult, but I'll make you something great, don't you worry. You go relax."

Auden waddled back into the living room and tried reading again, but she wasn't focused. She kept thinking of Fred. He couldn't miss the birth of his own kids. Hopefully, they could do what she and Fred had been hoping and hold off until he got back.

After dinner, Luna and Ginny stopped by to check on Auden.

"Any day now," Ginny said, bouncing slightly on the couch cushions. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah, but excited too. I can't wait to see them and hold them." She smiled happily.

"You know," Luna said, "before my mum died, I heard her saying to her friend that having a baby was like pooping out a watermelon."

Auden laughed. "George always says I'm the girl who swallowed a watermelon."

"Funny how that worked out," Luna said with one of her dreamy smiles.

"Is your brother going to come up to see the babies?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think he can come up right away, but he'll try to visit when he can. We're going to let him know when I go into labor just so he knows. Besides, he'll be coming home soon for good and he'll be able to spend lots of time with them."

"What about names?" Luna asked.

"Well, for boys, Fred likes the name Finn. He says it's the closest name he could find to Fred without it actually being Fred," Auden rolled her eyes and laughed. "It does begin with 'F' and have four letters, but I'm thinking that's about it."

"What a good reason," Ginny snorted.

"I think he actually really likes it, though. He was drawn to it when he found it in the book."

"What about you?" Luna asked. "What names do you like?"

"Well, I like Finn, but I like the name Cameron too."

"Well if you have more than one boy you can use both names," Ginny said reasonably.

"True," Auden nodded. "One of the benefits of having triplets. Anyway, where's Hermione?"

"Working late," Ginny answered, examining her nails. "She still works too hard, that girl."

Auden nodded. "She hasn't changed a bit."

"Sometimes I don't think any of us have," Ginny shrugged.

The weekend passed by and the babies apparently had decided they weren't ready to be born yet. By early evening on Monday, Auden was beginning to relax. Fred would be coming back the next afternoon. Maybe nothing would happen and he would be home for when she had the babies.

She should have known better.

A few hours after dinner, Auden was sitting in the living room with her mother. She was in the middle of working on another article, and her mother was reading. Suddenly, Auden's head snapped up. She felt like she had just wet herself, but she hadn't even had to pee.

"Mum?" she squeaked.

"Hmm?" her mother didn't look up.

"Mum, they're coming."

"Who's coming, dear?"

"The babies!" Auden said, standing up. "Oh my gosh, they're coming."

Auden's mother flung her book out of the way. It almost landed in the fireplace and if Auden hadn't just felt a stab of pain, she would have laughed. At once, Mrs. Parker sent off four talking Patronuses. One to Auden's dad, one to Ben, one to Mrs. Weasley and naturally one to Fred.

"Mum, we have to go," Auden gasped, clutching her stomach.

"Okay, breathe. Take deep breaths. We're going." Mrs. Parker grabbed Auden's arm and together they Apparated to St. Mungo's. They raced up to the front desk. The chair on the other side of the desk was occupied by the same bored looking witch that had been there when Marnie had given birth to Kaylee. Mrs. Parker slapped her hand on the desk a few times in a row. The witch didn't look up. "Hello, my daughter's having her baby!"

"Third floor. Someone will show you to a room when you get there," the witch answered in a bored tone, not even looking up.

Mrs. Parker looked like she wanted to say something else to the witch, but Auden gave a cry of pain and her mother dragged her away.

When they reached the third floor, they were led into a room, where Auden had to change into a hospital gown. She was then helped onto the bed. Her mother took the position beside her and held her hand.

"Mum, I want Fred," Auden whimpered.

"I know, dear, he's on his way," her mother answered and her voice was surprisingly calm. "Next time you get a contraction, squeeze my hand as hard as it hurts."

Auden managed a small smile. A few minutes later, another contraction came and she squeezed her mother's hand. "It hurts," she groaned.

"You're doing fine," a nurse said, as she came to check on her. "The babies won't actually be coming for a little while, so just hang in there."

Auden didn't answer. She managed a nod and rested her head back on the pillow. If Fred didn't hurry up, he wasn't going to be here when she finally had the babies. If he was one second late, she was going to hit him as hard as she could.

* * *

"Ready?" George asked as they approached the building where they would be meeting with the owner.

"Ready," Fred answered. "It's a nice building."

George nodded in agreement as they walked up to the front door. George knocked. A minute later, a man who looked to be in his mid-sixties opened the door. "Good afternoon," he said, shaking both of their hands. "Now, which one of you is Fred and which is George?"

"I'm Fred, that's George," Fred said. It was tempting to switch places, but he didn't think it would go over to well if they were caught.

"Well it's nice to meet you. Won't you come in? As you've probably guessed, I'm Mr. Samuels and I'm going to be selling this building. It was where I had my business for the past thirty years but I'm retiring soon. Now, you said that you run a joke shop and you're interested in buying this building to serve as another branch of your joke shop?"

"Yes," Fred answered. "We opened Weasley's Wizard Wheezes about eight years ago and business has been really great."

"Wonderful, now this building has a flat above it, and I'm guessing you will choose to stay where you live now, so would you rather me rent out the flat to whoever is put in charge here?"

"Yeah, that would work out well," George answered.

"Okay, I'll take you upstairs. Would you like some tea?"

"Sure," Fred and George answered together. They followed Mr. Samuels upstairs and took a seat on the couch as Mr. Samuels went into the kitchen.

"What do you think so far?" George asked.

"I like it. It's a little smaller than our store in Diagon Alley but not by much and I also think-," He was interrupted by a Patronus that suddenly flew through the open window and began to speak.

"Fred, come home now. Auden's having the babies. Hurry."

Fred was at a loss for words for probably the first time in his life and he suspected the same could be said for George because he didn't speak for a moment.

"You need to go," he said finally. Fred felt his eyes on him. "I can manage here. I'm sure Mr. Samuels will understand, but you need to get to St. Mungo's.

"Yeah, I do need to go," Fred stood up and raced for the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. "Are you sure you can manage?"

"I'm sure," George nodded. "Now, go and make sure my nieces, nephews, or both are all healthy and ready to get pranking. I'll meet you at St. Mungo's when I'm done here."

Fred saluted George and smiled. "Of course." He threw open the door and thundered down the stairs. Once at the bottom of the stairs, he apparated straight to the hospital. "My wife is having a baby," he stated.

"Name?" the witch said, not looking up.

"Auden Weasley. I'm Fred. I'm her husband."

"Room 310," answered the witch.

"I'm going to be a dad," Fred told her, smiling.

The witch finally looked up but she just stared at him and blinked a few times. Fred didn't care, though. He took off towards the lift and pressed the button. He hoped he wasn't too late. On the second floor, it seemed like half of the inhabitants of the building were trying to get on the lift and it took forever. Fred was tapping his foot impatiently. Once he reached the third floor, he pushed his way out and ran down the hallway until he reached room 310. His parents, Auden's dad, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, Katie, Harry, and Ron were all waiting outside.

"Am I too late? Has she had the babies yet?"

"No, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "She's been in labor for about an hour. We haven't heard anything, but her mother's with her now. Thank goodness you're here, though."

"I need to go in there," Fred announced, reaching for the door.

"You have to stay here, Fred," Mr. Weasley told him. "They'll come get you when they're ready."

"Is there a way to at least let Auden know I'm here?" He paused. "She said she'd lock me in the basement if I was late. I want to let her know I'm not late."

Mrs. Weasley chuckled. "She didn't mean that."

"See, the thing is, I don't really want to chance it."

After a moment, Ginny marched up to the door and knocked. A Healer answered the door and stuck her head out. "We aren't quite ready yet. She's still in labor."

"I just wanted to let you know that Auden's husband's here," Ginny pointed to Fred. He waved at the Healer. "Can you tell Auden?"

"Of course," the nurse said with a smile. She looked at Fred. "She's been telling us repeatedly that she needed you to be here by the time she had the babies."

Fred grinned. "Well, I'm here. How is she?"

"She's doing just fine," the Healer said with a smile.

Just then, Fred heard a scream of pain coming from inside the room. His eyes widened and he felt himself pale. "She doesn't sound fine," he whispered.

"She's in labor," the Healer said, smiling as she held back a laugh. "It's quite painful. But trust me, she's doing wonderful. Just wait here, okay?" She smiled gently before she shut the door again.

"Now what?" Fred asked, turning to face his family.

"Now we wait," Mrs. Weasley answered.

* * *

It was hours later. Just how many, Fred didn't know. He had lost track. His eyes were tired and his stomach was jittery with nerves. He was leaning against the wall with his head resting on the cool surface and his eyes closed when the door to the room finally opened. "Fred Weasley?"

"That's me," he said, turning to face the door quickly.

"Would you like to come meet your children?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Fred practically ran into the room after the nurse. Auden was laying on the bed, her mother standing on one side and a Healer on the other. They were each holding a baby. Auden looked up when he entered the room. She was trying to hold back tears and she looked exhausted, but she looked pretty good considering she had just given birth to triplets. In fact, she looked amazing.

"Hi," he whispered, approaching the bed. He looked at the baby in Auden's arms.

"You made it," she said, her voice quiet and a little hoarse.

"Of course I made it," he answered, touching her cheek.

"We have two boys and a girl," Auden whispered. "The girl is the youngest. The baby my mum is holding is the oldest."

"Two boys and a girl," Fred repeated, smiling. He sat on the edge of the bed and the nurse passed him the baby girl. She was adorable. All three of them were. They were his children and they were the most adorable children in the world.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used for this chapter is **_**You and Me**_** by the Plain White T's. **

**I hope everyone likes the chapter and really, I love hearing what people think, so reviews would be great! Thanks for reading!**


	35. Chapter 35: The Stars That Shined

"What are you going to name them?" a nurse asked.

Fred glanced up from staring at their daughter and looked at Auden. She looked back at him. Without breaking her gaze, she answered the question. "The oldest is named Finn," she answered, choosing his favorite name. Fred smiled.

"What about this little guy?" the nurse gently tickled middle triplet resting in Auden's arms.

"Cameron," Fred answered immediately. Auden grinned.

"And the girl?"

"Felicity," Auden answered. "We can call her Lissie for short."

"They're so beautiful, Auden, they really are," her mother said quietly.

The Healer let in everyone else waiting outside and they all fawned over the triplets, who were still sleeping soundly.

"I hope at least one of them opens their eyes soon," Auden said. "I want to know whose eyes they have. I hope they have yours, Fred."

"Mine?" Fred asked. He was still looking down at Felicity.

"Yes, yours. You know I've always loved your eyes."

"But I've always loved _yours,_" he argued quietly.

"They clearly have Fred's hair," Auden's dad remarked. It was true. Each of the triplets had a very small amount of red hair that at the moment resembled peach fuzz.

"Traditional Weasley redheads," Mrs. Weasley grinned.

They stood in silence for a few minutes until slowly, Felicity's eyes opened slightly. Auden heard Fred inhale quietly. "Blue eyes," he reported in a whisper. "They're blue. Bright blue." He looked at Auden and smiled. She smiled back and relaxed into the pillow.

"Next we have to figure out the smile," Ginny said, plunking herself down on edge of the bed.

"Auden's smile," Fred said as Felicity's mouth curled into a tiny smile before she fell back to sleep.

"And her nose," Mrs. Parker said, adjusting Finn's blanket.

"You think so?" Auden looked down at Cameron, who was lying calmly in her own arms.

"Yeah, I can see it," Fred said. Auden watched him cradle Felicity tighter to his chest. She smiled.

"You're a natural at this already," she whispered.

Fred tore his gaze away from his daughter to look at Auden. "Do I look even more dashing than usual holding a baby?"

"You look like a dad," she said, smiling. She knew that was probably the best compliment she could give him at the moment. And she was right. At her words, Fred broke into a grin and looked down at Felicity again.

Eventually, all three babies had been passed to every person in the room. None of them woke up or made a sound.

"Where's George?" Auden asked after the Healers had taken the babies to the nursery. She and Fred were alone in the room. Everyone else had gone to get something to eat.

"He's dealing with business," Fred answered, running a hand through his hair and grinning. "He'll be coming soon, though."

"Do you think you'll buy the building?"

Fred grinned. "I don't know. All I got was a tour of the place. You see, more important things got in the way of me staying."

Auden smiled. "You look tired," she pointed out.

"You look even more tired," Fred answered, bending down to kiss her forehead.

Auden nodded. "You don't know how much I want to sleep right now."

"Why don't you? I won't tell anyone." He winked and Auden laughed and shook her head.

"Seriously, go to sleep. I'll stay right here." He sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth across the soft skin between her thumb and index finger.

Auden couldn't help it. She was so tired and she was so comfortable that she felt her eyes getting heavier and harder to keep open.

* * *

"Fred?" His mother stuck her head into the room. "George is here. Do you want to take him to see the babies or should one of us do it?"

"I'll do it," Fred volunteered. He let go of Auden's hand. "Will you stay with Auden?"

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley eased into the room and sat by Auden.

Fred took one last look over his shoulder before he left the room. Auden looked so peaceful and something told him that with three newborn babies, after today, she wouldn't be getting much more sleep.

"Look who it is," George smirked as Fred slipped into the hallway. "It's the daddy."

"Hey Uncle George," Fred answered, gently hitting George's shoulder. "How'd it go after I left?"

"Fine, I think we should buy it. I really do. It's similar to the shop we have here and it'll be good for business."

Fred nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, sounds good."

"So, what's the verdict?" George asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Boys, girls, goats...pumpkins?" George prodded with a grin. "Watermelons?"

"Two goats and a tortoise," Fred answered, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

"Wicked," George laughed.

"Seriously, though, it's two boys and a girl."

George smiled. "What did you decide for names?"

"Finn, Cameron and Felicity."

"Can I see them now?

"Of course, Uncle George." Fred led George down the hallway to the nursery. The nurse smiled at them and let them both inside. "Right here," Fred stopped when he reached the triplets.

George's face melted into a loving smile as he reached inside each cradle and touched the triplets' soft red hair. "Red hair," he whispered.

"And blue eyes," Fred added. He was sure that his expression matched George's right now.

"Now we just have to hope that they have the Weasley prankster genes," George said.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed," Fred smirked.

The door opened and Fred glanced up. Harry and Ron had just entered the room.

"Hey, it's the other uncles!" George exclaimed, throwing his arms around Harry and Ron's shoulders.

Harry and Ron grinned down at the triplets. After a moment, Cameron woke up and peered up at them. Ron stuck his finger down into his cradle and Cameron wound his tiny fist around Ron's finger.

"Hey there baby Cameron," Fred whispered. "Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry are here to see you. Did you know that Uncle Harry is famous?"

"Oh please," Harry rolled his eyes. "They don't have to know my story for a long time."

"You're going to tell them eventually though, aren't you?" Ron asked. "I mean, they'll love it."

"Eventually," Harry said. "But I don't want to tell the story. Auden and Fred can tell it."

"No I think you should, Harry," Fred said. "After we've all had kids we can have a huge story time and you can tell them the crazy story that is your life."

"_Was_ my life," Harry said. "It's calmed down a lot since I was seventeen."

"I kind of miss it in a weird way," Ron added.

"I don't," Harry snorted.

They fell into silence once again, staring at the triplets. Cameron still hadn't loosened his grip on Ron's finger.

"Looks like he's got some muscle," George nudged Fred.

"He takes after me," Fred said, "the more muscular twin."

"No, you're mistaken. I'm way more muscular." George held up his arm.

"The baby's more muscular than the both of you put together," Ron snorted as Harry laughed.

"You're one to talk, ickle Ronniekins," George raised his eyebrows.

Cameron let out a tiny giggle from his crib.

"Ah, see, he knows what's funny," George grinned.

"Definitely his father's son," Harry shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Seems that way," Ron mumbled. "Just what I need. More of you two running around."

Fred and George laughed and threw their arms around Ron. "Don't try to hide your excitement, Ronnie."

"Oh, I'm not hiding anything. This is as excited as I get."

Fred and George laughed again and Harry and Ron shortly joined in.

* * *

After Fred and Auden brought the babies home, they hardly got a moment of peace. Taking care of the triplets was time consuming and made their lives hectic, but Auden wouldn't have changed anything and she knew Fred wouldn't either.

Besides having three new family members, the other family members constantly stopped by Auden and Fred's house to offer help, to see the babies, and to see how Fred and Auden were doing. Auden didn't mind at all, but sometimes she wished she could get a moment of rest.

"Oh, they are so precious," Fleur cooed when she first came over to see the babies.

"They got the red hair," Bill smiled, clapping Fred on the back.

"We have a child weeth red hair as well, or have you not noticed for zee past year?" Fleur asked.

"Oh, no, I haven't noticed him at all. Where have you been hiding him?" Bill joked as Fleur glared at him. "I was just commenting on the fact that all Weasleys have red hair."

"And what about your other cheeldren who 'ave zee same hair color as me? Are they not Weasleys?" Fleur asked. Auden laughed and Fleur's mouth twitched into a small smile.

Bill clapped a hand to his forehead. "I'm going to stop digging myself into a hole now."

"Yeah, you better," Fleur mumbled, turning back to the crib that she had been bending over earlier. "Now, wheech baby eez this?"

"This is Finn," Fred said. "That's Felicity," he pointed to the baby in the middle crib, "and that's Cameron." He pointed to the last crib.

"How do you tell them apart?" Bill asked. "I never knew how mum did it with you and George and even she would get you mixed up sometimes."

"Well, you just have to look for differences," Auden answered. "It's easy to tell Felicity apart from the boys for obvious reasons, but we've been looking for other physical differences."

"Like Felicity has slightly bigger eyes than the boys," Fred pointed out. "Her eyes are also slightly brighter in color. And the shape of Finn's face is slightly different than Cameron's. That's all we have for right now but when they get older there will probably be more."

"Finn has a dot on his wrist," Bill said, pointing to a tiny dot on the inside of Finn's wrist. "Is that some kind of birth mark or something?"

Auden shot Fred a look before answering. "No, that's Fred's fault. When we first brought the babies home, he was having difficulties telling the boys apart so he drew a dot on Finn with a marker. A permanent one no doubt."

"What?" Fleur gasped as if it were a serious crime.

Bill laughed as Fred blushed with guilt. "It'll wash off eventually! Even permanent marker washes off of skin."

"Lucky for you," Auden answered.

"She wasn't too happy with me when she found out," Fred told Bill and Fleur.

"I wouldn't be either," Fleur said.

"He's getting the hang of telling them apart now, though," Auden said.

"The last thing we need is to mix up our own children," Fred added, readjusting the blanket over Finn's tiny body.

Bill turned to Auden. "Have you heard from Ben? He and Marnie had their second child in January, right?"

"Yeah, it was a boy. They named him Brad. I haven't seen him yet, but they haven't seen the triplets, so we're even," she smirked slightly. "They're coming back at the end of the summer, though. It took longer than they though, mostly because Ben was really enjoying working in Romania, but they agreed that they wanted to raise their children here."

Fred nodded and continued to fix the blankets on Cameron and Felicity. "Yeah, it wouldn't be too good if a dragon ate one of their kids." Auden and Fleur both gave him a look. "What? It wouldn't be good at all."

Auden just shook her head. Sometimes she had to question her husband's mental health.

* * *

As Finn, Cameron and Felicity grew older, it became apparent that they were their father's children in personality and in looks. They were daring, fearless, full of energy and loved to play jokes. Felicity was a little bit more level headed and less impulsive than the boys, but it never took much convincing to get her to pull a prank. Auden had also noticed that the three of them loved to read, just like she did.

Two years after the triplets had arrived Auden had given birth to a baby girl. They had named her Aerilyn and she was a miniature version of Auden, with big brown eyes and brown hair. She did inherit Fred's freckles, though and she seemed to have some of his personality, too. One night, when she was about a year old, Fred had volunteered to feed her. Needless to say, Fred had ended up covered in baby food and Aerilyn had laughed and clapped her hands with apparent joy.

Now, the triplets were seven years old and Aerilyn was five. Fred had just come home as Auden was finishing cooking dinner. Aerilyn was sitting on the floor under the table playing with her doll. Auden had no idea why she liked to play under the table, but it was better than having her under her feet while she cooked.

"Dinner's ready!" Auden called up the stairs. Fred had gone upstairs and most likely been mauled over and distracted by the triplets. She peeked under the table. "Aerilyn, dear, can you please come out from under there? We have to eat now."

"Can I talk about that with Lulu?" She held up her doll.

"Go ahead, talk about it with Lulu," Auden smiled.

Aerilyn put the doll close to her ear and nodded a few times. "Lulu says that she's not ready to come out yet, so I'm not ready either."

"Will she do it for me?" Auden asked.

Aerilyn put Lulu close to her ear again. "Only if you give us both a kiss."

"Okay, then come over here."

"No, mummy, that's not fair! You have to come under here!"

Auden sighed and crawled under the table towards her daughter, maneuvering around the chair legs. "Okay, here I am."

Aerilyn held out Lulu. "She wants a big hug and kiss."

Auden hugged the doll and gave it a loud, exaggerated kiss. "Better?"

"My turn," Aerilyn cried, laughing.

"Your turn," Auden answered, giving her daughter a much gentler kiss.

"Mum, why are you under the table?" asked a loud voice. Auden jumped and banged her head on the underside of the table.

Aerilyn giggled and she was joined by the laughter of three little children, and one adult.

"Fred, stop laughing at me," she said, but she was starting to laugh as well. She backed out from under the table, followed by Aerilyn.

"Ah, there's the little princess!" Fred exclaimed, swooping Aerilyn into his arms and giving her a kiss.

"What's for dinner?" Cameron asked, sitting down at the table and getting comfortable.

"Food," Auden answered, giving Fred a kiss.

"Ugh, gross," Finn covered his eyes as he sat down next to Cameron.

"I think it's romantic," Felicity sighed.

Fred laughed and sat Aerilyn down in her chair. "I think Cam has a very good question. What's for dinner?"

"Chicken," Auden answered, putting the plates of food on the table.

"Mum, is that broccoli?" Finn whined.

"Yes, and you'll be eating some," Auden said.

"Mum," he whined.

"Just a few pieces," she urged, putting a few on his plate.

Finn looked at Fred, who glanced at Auden. "Broccoli is good for you. See, even I like it." He put some broccoli in his mouth. Auden smiled and turned around to wash her hands.

"Dad!" Felicity yelled with a laugh.

Auden spun around to see Fred frozen in his chair, staring at her, holding his napkin which was filled with a green blob.

"What did he do?" Finn asked. "I didn't see."

"Neither did I," Cameron whined.

"He-," Felicity began, but stopped when Auden sent her a look. She wanted Finn to eat his vegetables, not learn to spit them out.

She rolled her eyes at Fred and turned back to the sink, only letting her smile show when her back was to her children.

After dinner, Auden was sitting in the chair at one end of the couch while the kids played together on the floor and Fred sat on the couch, reading the newspaper.

"Are you reading what mummy wrote?" Felicity asked, looking up at her father.

"No, I always save that for last," Fred answered, winking at Auden, who blushed.

"Mum," Finn said hesitantly. Auden looked up. Finn, Cameron and Felicity were all looking at each other.

"Yes?" she answered.

"We," Finn gestured to his brother and sister, "did something really cool today."

"What would that be?" Auden asked.

"Well, I'll just show you," Finn said. He stood up and reached into his pocket, pulling out a Galleon. He walked over to Auden and pulled out her hand, placing the Galleon in it.

"Finn, I-," Auden began, glancing at Fred, confused. He was watching them past the side of the newspaper.

"Just wait," Finn answered. He glanced at Cameron and Felicity, who nodded. Then, he looked back at the Galleon and concentrated on it. It rose straight up into the air and back down into Auden's hand, where he then made it slide sideways off of her palm, onto the floor, and under the couch.

"Where did you learn that, Finny?" Aerilyn asked.

"It just happened," Finn answered.

"All three of you can do this?" Fred asked, looking at the triplets.

"Yeah," Cameron answered. "We found out this morning."

"Is it normal?" Finn asked.

"Yes, you're showing your first signs of magic!" Auden exclaimed. "That's wonderful!"

"Why can't I do that?" Aerilyn stuck her arm under the couch to retrieve the Galleon, which she held in her palm and stared at, her toungue sticking out between her lips.

Fred laughed and pulled Aerilyn onto the couch with him. "You still have another two years until you show signs of magic." Aerilyn pouted, but leaned against Fred's side and began turning the Galleon in her fingers.

"Your father made things fly when he first started showing signs of magic," Auden told the triplets. "That's how I got this," she touched the scar above her eyebrow.

"I've always wondered how you got that," Cameron said. "Dad gave it to you?"

"Yes," Auden said.

"No," Fred said at the same time. They looked at each other. "It was an accident," he said, shrugging.

"What happened?" Finn asked, sitting down at the other end of the couch. Cameron joined him and Felicity climbed into the chair beside Auden.

"You really want to know?" Fred asked.

All four of the children nodded.

"Well," Fred put down the newspaper, and turned sideways on the couch, his legs crossed under him, placing Aerilyn in his lap. "It all started when George and I were seven years old. Uncle Ron was afraid of spiders, you see, and-,"

"Uncle Ron's afraid of spiders?" Cameron asked. "That's good to know." A smirk developed on his face.

"You will not be torturing your uncle with any spiders," Auden said.

"But mum, think of how much fun it'll be. Think of his expression!" Finn's eyes were shining, just like Fred and George's eyes when they were about to pull a prank.

"You are so like your father," Auden rolled her eyes.

Fred continued the story and by the time he was done, the kids were laughing. As the laughter died down, Felicity picked up Auden's left hand and traced her finger over the scars left from Umbridge's quill. "What about this scar, mum? And the one on your shoulder."

"Yeah," Cameron added. "How did you get those?"

"Dad has the ones on his hand, too," Finn said. "So does Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron, Aunt Ginny, and Aunt Hermione. Aunt Katie too, come to think of it."

Auden looked at Fred. He looked back at her, his face serious. "I think the story behind those is for another time," she said, trying to sound cheery. "Right now it's time for bed."

"Mum," the triplets groaned.

"I want to know," Aerilyn said. "Lulu does too." She held up her doll.

"I think we should tell them, Aud," Fred whispered, looking at her.

"Fred, I don't know."

"They're going to have to find out eventually."

"Kids, will you please go wait in the kitchen? Your father and I need to discuss this," Auden said.

"Fine." Felicity took Aerilyn's hand and the four of them left the room.

Auden moved to the couch and sat beside Fred. "If we tell them about the scars, we're going to have to tell them all about Harry," she said, her voice low.

"So what? Like I said, they'll have to find out eventually," Fred answered, tracing his finger over her jaw line.

"I just think they're too young. Aerilyn especially. She's only five!"

"We can put her to bed and tell the triplets."

"We can't put her to bed now that she knows there's a story. She's just like Ron in that sense. She has to know everything."

Fred didn't answer. He moved the collar of her shirt aside until the scar on her shoulder was visible. "I hate looking at this one," he whispered. "The one on your hand, too."

"Just like I hate looking at yours," Auden answered. "I don't want the kids to have to know about everything we went through. I want them to grow up happy, without having to know about Voldemort and Umbridge, and those Snatchers. I don't want them to know how you almost died, or how Harry almost died."

"We can't keep this from them forever. They already noticed the scars. They noticed everyone else's, too. You heard them. They know we went through something. Everything that happened to us…it's all important. They should know."

Auden looked back at him and took a deep breath before exhaling. She kissed him gently and when she pulled away, rested her forehead against his. "Fine," she said quietly. "We can tell them. Can I ask you one favor though?"

"Anything."

"Stop being so convincing."

Fred chuckled. "No promises."

Auden smiled. "Alright, go get the kids."

"I don't think there'll be any need." Fred pointed to the door, which had been left open a crack. One end of an Extendable Ear was lying on the floor, poking through the crack. As soon as Fred finished talking, it was pulled away jerkily.

Seconds later, the triplets ran into the room, Aerilyn at their heels, Lulu dangling from her small hand. Cameron and Finn resumed their spots on the couch next to Auden, Felicity sat on the floor, leaning up against the coffee table, while Aerilyn crawled into Fred's lap.

"What do you have to tell us about Uncle Harry?" Finn asked immediately. "You said he almost died? You said _dad_ almost died."

Auden sighed. Fred put his hand on her knee and traced his thumb in a circular motion. "Are you sure you want to know? You don't want to hear this from Uncle Harry himself?"

"No, we can't wait for that," Felicity said, waving her hand impatiently.

"Well, let's start from the beginning, shall we?" Fred said. "There was a wizard many years ago, when your mum and I were very young, who was considered the most evil wizard of all time. His name was Voldemort."

"No wonder he was evil," Finn snorted. "With a name like that, I'd be unhappy too."

"That wasn't his real name," Fred said. "His real name was Tom Riddle."

"That's better. Why'd he change it to such a hideous name?" Felicity asked.

"Because he was mental," Fred answered, getting a small laugh out of Auden. She listened as Fred told the children everything. He told them all about Harry defeating Voldemort at only a year old and about Harry facing him again during his first year. Auden jumped in occasionally, filling in spots that Fred missed.

When Fred got to the part about Umbridge and her quill, Aerilyn and Felicity gasped. Finn and Cameron looked disgusted. "I hope you pulled a prank on her," Finn said.

"Of course we did," Fred answered, reaching over to ruffle his son's hair.

When Fred finally reached the part where they had been captured by Snatchers, he paused and looked at Auden, who nodded for him to go ahead. They had come this far, they might as well finish it off.

Fred showed the scar on his stomach, left from Greyback's torture. He explained about George's scar on his nose and Auden's scar on her shoulder and how they all came from the same person.

Finally, he got to the battle of Hogwarts, where the wall exploded and he was held captive by Death Eaters. Auden stared out the window just over his shoulder. She hated reliving these memories.

"But once I came back," Fred said, "Voldemort was gone, and all the Death Eaters were captured and put in jail. So was Umbridge. We haven't been bothered by any of them for years and Voldemort's gone for good now."

"Oh daddy," Felicity said, her eyes filled with tears. Aerilyn was clutching onto Fred's shirt, Lulu lying abandoned on the couch cushion.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you," Auden said quietly. "I didn't want to frighten you."

"I don't think it matters at what age you told us," Finn said in a reasonable tone. "It wouldn't have made the story any less frightening."

Fred laughed. "It's amazing how you remind me of your mother sometimes."

"How did that remind you of me?" Auden asked.

"Because you would have said the same thing," Fred answered, reaching over and tapping her nose. "They inherited your incredible sense of reason."

"And your curiosity and sense of humor," Auden answered.

"Ah, and don't forget the good looks," Fred said.

"What good looks?" Auden asked, smiling.

"Daddy, was mummy pretty when you were in school?" Aerilyn asked, picking Lulu up again.

"Was? She still is," Fred answered, smiling at his daughter, but glancing at Auden just long enough to wink at her. Auden blushed.

"Tell us how you met and how you started dating," Felicity said, resting her chin in her hands.

Auden laughed. "That story's going to have to wait. It's a much happier one, though. Trust me. Now off to bed, all of you. I'll be up to tuck you in shortly."

"Aw, mum," Finn groaned.

"We're not tired," Cameron added, stifling a yawn.

"No, not at all," Fred said with a laugh. "Listen to your mother and get off to bed. Don't make me come tickle your feet."

Squealing with laughter, the children darted away from Fred's wiggling fingers and ran upstairs. At the doorway, Aerilyn stopped and stuck her tongue out. "You can't reach me," she giggled.

"Oh yeah?" Fred jumped up and in a flash, he grabbed her in his arms, swung her over his shoulder and began tickling her feet. She squealed and laughed as she wiggled around. Finn appeared from around the corner, pretending to be waving a sword.

"Put the damsel in distress down, you evil dragon."

"Get upstairs before I get you, too," Fred said, still tickling Aerilyn. Finn dashed up the stairs as fast as he could.

"Some brave knight you are!" Auden teased as Fred headed up the stairs to put Aerilyn to bed. Laughing, she followed them. Her children were four of the most important people in her life, but sometimes she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

**A/N: The song I used for this chapter is **_**Mary's Song**_** by Taylor Swift. I hope everyone likes it and thanks for reading!**


	36. Chapter 36: Ever Ever After

"Come on dear, if you don't hurry, we're going to be late." Auden picked up Aerilyn's hand and pulled her after Fred and the triplets. They were on their way to Platform 9 ¾. It was Aerilyn's first year at Hogwarts and the triplet's third year. Aerilyn had been bouncing with excitement until now. Now, she just seemed nervous.

Finn and Cameron ran through the barrier first, followed by Fred and Felicity, then Auden and Aerilyn.

"I see Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione!" Finn yelled.

"Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny too!" Felicity added.

"Don't go anywhere just yet," Auden said. "We'll all walk over together. I don't want you getting lost. It's crowded."

They made their way over to where Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were standing, surrounded by their own children. James was starting his second year, and Albus and Rose were starting their first year, just like Aerilyn. Hugo and Lily wouldn't start for another two years.

James was the first one to notice Auden, Fred and the kids. He tugged on Harry's sleeve and pointed before running up to the triplets to show them his owl that happened to look just like Hedwig.

"Coincidence?" Fred asked Harry, raising his eyebrows.

"No," Harry said, holding up his hands. "He picked it out all on his own. I didn't influence him one bit."

"If by that you mean you made a beeline straight for that one owl and didn't walk away from it, even when James asked if you liked any other owls." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I was just asking Harry if he parked alright," Ron said to Auden and Fred. "Hermione didn't think I could pass a Muggle driving test."

"As I've already told you," Hermione sighed, "I knew you could do it."

"I actually did Confund the instructor, though," Ron said, whispering so that Hermione wouldn't hear.

"Of course you did," Auden laughed.

"We parked fine," Fred grinned.

"Oh, yes, Fred's a lot better at driving then he was when he first tried," Auden said. "The first time he tried to drive a car, he backed into a fence."

Ron burst into laughter as Fred looked embarrassed. "I thought it would be easy!" he protested as his ears turned red.

"It's not like flying your dad's enchanted car," Auden told him. "I believe I told you that a long time ago as well." She smiled gently and reached up to smooth down a piece of his hair that had blown out of place.

"I don't understand why we had to drive anyway," Hugo mumbled. "I want to try that side along apparation."

"We can't just Apparate into a Muggle train station, Hugo," Hermione said. "I've told you this many times."

Auden smiled. "You mean you haven't forced him to read Hogwarts, A History yet?" she asked.

"I've tried," Hermione sighed. "But he and Rose won't have it."

"She tried to read it to them as a bedtime story," Ron chimed in, rolling his eyes. "But it did put them to sleep straightaway."

"Which was my plan all along," Hermione muttered, fiddling with the strap of her bag.

Auden then caught sight of Albus, Rose and Aerilyn, who were standing in a nervous group, close to the train, looking up at it with wide eyes. Auden almost wished she were eleven again so that she could relive the feeling of seeing the train for the first time.

"We're going to go find a compartment and put our luggage in it," James yelled as he ran off with the triplets.

"Don't forget to come back so we can embarrass you by kissing you goodbye!" Fred yelled after them.

"That'll make them come back," Auden snorted.

"Hey, there's Uncle George," Hugo pointed.

Sure enough, George was making his way towards them, holding hands with Katie, who was holding onto their youngest child, Raina's hand. The thirteen year old twins, Shannon and Matthew followed close behind.

"It's bloody scary that Fred and George have triplets and twins," Ron said. "I still can't get over it."

"Get used to it, Ron," Fred nudged his brother's shoulder.

Moments later, Ben and Marnie showed up with Kaylee and Brad, who were now fifteen and thirteen. They had moved back from Romania and Ben had Marnie had gotten jobs at the Ministry. Ben always said it wasn't as exciting as working with dragons, but he liked being back home. He hadn't wanted his children growing up around dragons and he also wasn't going to let them miss out on Hogwarts.

"Alright, let's get you all on the train," Hermione said. "It'll be leaving soon."

"Where did James get off to with the triplets?" Ginny asked as Hermione and Ron helped Rose onto the train.

"There they are," George pointed. Raina was pulling on his hand in her rush to get on the train. Shannon and Matthew were already on the train, sticking their heads out the window and waving at Finn, Cameron and Felicity, who were trying to keep up with James who was racing towards his parents, laughing.

"Guess who we just saw?"

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Teddy and he was with Victoire and they were kissing! Our cousin Victoire and Teddy Lupin! Kissing!"

"Oh, how lovely," Lily said.

"I think so too," Felicity said, grinning.

"Well personally I thought it was quite-," Finn began.

"Disgusting," Cameron finished. "Both of them are practically our-,"

"Family," Finn said.

"Wouldn't it be lovely if they got married?" Lily asked. "Teddy would really be family then."

"He already comes over for dinner every other night," Harry laughed.

"But listen!" James said loudly. "I asked them what they were doing and Teddy said he was just saying goodbye and then he told me to go away."

"You interrupted them?" Ginny asked. "You are so like Ron."

"Which isn't always a bad thing," Ron added, returning from getting Rose on the train. She was sticking her head out of the window talking to Hermione.

The train's whistle blew, warning everyone that it was almost time to leave.

"Mum," Aerilyn said in a whisper. She was twirling a ring on her finger. The same ring that had once been Auden's, given to her by her mother on her eleventh birthday. And when Aerilyn had turned eleven, Auden had passed the ring on to her.

"Yes?" Auden knelt down in front of her daughter and waited for her to speak.

"Daddy said something about having to fight a troll to figure out what House we get put into. I don't know how to fight a troll," she whispered the last bit into Auden's ear.

Auden laughed. "I'll have to have a talk with your father. You know him, he likes to play jokes. He told Ron the same thing on our first day of school. There's no troll. The Sorting is very easy, trust me."

"What do we have to do?"

"You'll see when you get there, but don't worry; it's nothing to worry about."

"Will you hate me if I'm not in Gryffindor? Uncle Ron said he's going to disown Rose if she isn't."

"Uncle Ron was just kidding, too. There's nothing wrong with any of the Houses."

"But Slytherin-,"

"I don't think you'll be in Slytherin," Auden said, brushing hair away from her daughter's face.

"But if I am?"

"Your father and I will love you just the same."

Aerilyn nodded and threw her arms around her mother's neck before hugging Fred tightly and getting onto the train.

"Bye, Mum," the triplets hugged Auden all at once, nearly knocking her over, and then they too hopped onto the train to join the rest of their cousins.

"Now, don't forget," Harry said, "Hagrid says you're all welcome for tea any time."

"I wouldn't advise you to eat his food, but you should at least be polite and fake it," Auden added.

"What's wrong with his food?" Rose asked.

"It'll break your teeth," Hermione said. "And Grandma and Grandpa Granger wouldn't be too happy if you came home for Christmas with broken teeth."

"Remember to beat out Scorpious Malfoy in every test," Ron added. "And stay away from giant spiders and blast ended skrewts."

"Giant spiders? Where?" Finn asked.

"Can we bring one home?" Cameron asked.

"Absolutely not," Auden shook her head.

"Yeah, listen to your mum," Ron mumbled.

"What about a toilet seat?" Felicity asked, looking directly at Auden and Fred, who looked at each other.

"How did you find out about that?" Fred asked.

"When you took us to the shop, I saw it hanging above the fireplace in the flat," Felicity shrugged. "I got Uncle George to tell me the story."

"In my defense, it's hard to say no to those kids," George said.

Auden laughed and shook her head. "Stay out of trouble. All of you."

"Not completely out of trouble, though," Fred added. "Don't forget to prank Scorpious any chance you get and anyone else who gets on your nerves. I'll send you some Skiving Snackboxes next week."

"Yes!" the triplets cheered.

"You'll do no such thing," Auden turned to Fred, glaring at him.

"How else are they going to get their pranking supplies?" Fred asked.

Auden closed her eyes and sighed, but a smile formed on her face. She knew she couldn't change her children's minds about pranking. They were Fred's children and it only made sense that they loved pulling pranks just as much as he did.

"Don't forget to send Neville our love," Ginny said.

"We can't give a professor love!" James protested.

"But you know Neville."

"Outside, yeah," Felicity said, "but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he?"

"We can't walk into Herbology and give him love!" James added, sticking his tongue out as if he were disgusted.

"Of course you can," Hermione said.

"No, they can't," George argued as Ron nodded by his side. "That's just downright embarrassing."

"Fine, then don't give him any love," Ginny huffed. "Just completely ignore him and act like you don't know him at all."

"At least ask him how Luna's last trip to Sweden was," Auden said.

"No, we're not going to ask a professor about his wife," Finn said.

"Why not?" Fred asked.

"Because that's almost as bad as giving him love!" Cameron answered. The train was beginning to pull away from the station.

"Everyone's staring at you, dad!" James said, excitedly. "They know, don't they?"

"No, it's me," Ron said. "I'm extremely famous, too, you know."

"For what?" Rose yelled, snorting as the train slowly moved further away.

"For the best game of chess Hogwarts has ever seen!" Ron yelled back, waving.

Auden slid her arms around Fred and they both waved, watching the faces of their children, nieces, and nephews grow smaller and smaller.

"Well, that's it then," Fred said, "All of our children have left us."

Auden laughed. "We have a while before they leave for good."

"Yeah, fifty years for the boys and a hundred years for the girls," Fred answered with a small nod as if her were proud of his calculations. "And any guy that wants to date our daughters has to submit to questioning."

Auden snorted. "I'm sure the girls will love that idea. Will these prospective boyfriends have to stay five feet away from them as well?"

"Of course," Fred answered. "I'm actually thinking more along the lines of ten feet, though."

Auden laughed. "What happens if they don't listen?"

"I'll hex them," Fred answered simply, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead.

"_You_ didn't obey that rule, though, so you may not be in a position to do that," Auden whispered, resting her forehead against his.

"Well, I knew what I was doing," Fred said. "We all know how innocent and perfect I always was. I can't say the same for other boys."

"We only do this for their protection, Aud," George said, overhearing the conversation and noticing Auden's smile and eye roll.

"Let's not worry about them dating just yet," she said. "They're only children."

"If you're so sure we don't have to worry, what if they come home for the summer with a significant other?" Fred asked, smirking.

"They won't, but if they did I'd make them eat nothing but broccoli for a week."

"That's a cruel punishment," George shook his head.

"I agree," Fred answered, nodding.

"Uh-huh, you better hope I don't make you eat only broccoli for a week Fred Weasley." She pointed a finger in his face.

"For what?" he asked.

"For being a downright annoyance," she laughed.

"Oh yeah?" he grabbed her around the waist from behind and she squealed with laughter as he held her tight, her arms pinned to her sides.

"Good thing the kids left already. You'd be embarrassing them," Ben laughed.

"Never mind the kids. You're embarrassing _us_," Ron mumbled.

"Shut up, Ron. Don't make me hide a spider under your pillow," Auden said through her laughter.

Ron's ears turned pink, but he kept his mouth shut.

"That's what I thought," Auden giggled.

"Honestly, people are staring," Hermione said as Auden continued to try and wrestle out of Fred's grip. "It's like you're still teenagers."

"Ah, Hermione, we're still young at heart," Fred said. "You should try it sometime."

"You're allowed to be young at heart. You own a joke shop."

"Just because you work at the Ministry doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun," George said. "Actually, it's all the more reason to or else-,"

"You'll end up-," Fred continued.

"Like Percy used to be," George said.

Fred nodded. "He came around eventually but-,"

"Who knows, you might not be that lucky," George finished.

"George," Katie scolded.

"It's the truth," George said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Trust me I won't end up like Percy. I know better."

"Oh, but of course," Fred said. "You always _know_ everything."

Hermione glared at Fred, but a small smile was threatening to take over her face.

"Okay, I think it's time we go home now," Katie said loudly. "There's no reason to stay now that the train's gone."

"Katie, there's every reason to stay," George said, pretending to be shocked. "The real fun is just beginning after the train leaves." Auden and Fred laughed.

"Sometimes I question your sanity, George," Katie sighed, grabbing his arm and gently pulling him away. "Come on, let's go."

"I've always questioned the sanity of these two," Auden said, gesturing to Fred and George as they walked away.

"How rude," Fred answered, throwing his arm over Auden's shoulders as they walked. She wrapped an arm around his waist. "George and I are completely sane."

Auden heard Ron snort from behind her and with a flick of her wand she turned his watch into a spider without a backwards glance. She smirked as Ron gave a yelp and she could picture him waving his arm around in an attempt to get the spider off. She was only sorry that the children weren't there to witness it.

* * *

_Dear Mum and Dad, _

_I am having a wonderful time at Hogwarts. Today was the first day of classes and they're so fascinating, but first, I want to tell you about the Sorting. Mum, you were right. There was no troll. I only had to try on a hat. It was so easy and I wasn't nervous at all. James told me that Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron fought a troll in their first year and they said Mum was there too with Aunt Hermione. Why didn't you tell me? Anyway, I got put into Gryffindor, so I'm with Finn, Cameron and Felicity. And the rest of the family as well for that matter. The food was really good. Finn, Cameron, and Felicity took me down to see the kitchens last night too and we met all the house elves who work there. _

_Anyway, like I said, my classes are very fascinating. Professor McGonagall is still teaching Transfiguration even though she's the headmistress. I like her. She's strict, but she's very nice. The triplets like her, too, but they act like they don't because of how she always gave them detention last year. I like Professor Flitwick, too. He's funny. I'm definitely the worst at Potions, but Professor Slughorn is very understanding. I'm glad that Professor McGonagall allowed Professor Lupin to take over the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again. I'm also glad people have a better understanding of werewolves so he can teach here without getting "angry letters from parents," as Finn described it. _

_This afternoon, the triplets snuck Filch a Puking Pastil and a Nosebleed Nougat at the same time during lunch. It was probably the funniest thing I have ever seen. Dad, I know you said you would be sending some Skiving Snackboxes next week, but the triplets snuck some into school already, if you haven't already guessed. They still want you to send more, though. They decided that in order to convince you, they needed to send you this Hogwarts toilet seat. _

_Now, I know you already have one, but now you have two. I helped them detach it from the toilet and smuggle it back to the dorms. It wasn't very difficult. We went to this empty girl's bathroom that Lissie called 'Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom.' I don't know who Moaning Myrtle is, but I don't think I want to know. Her name is unpleasant on its own. Anyway, don't worry, I made sure the toilet was sanitized before we sent it. Basically, I'm the brains of the operation. _

_James made it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker. No surprise there. Finn, Cameron and Lissie all made it on to the team for the second year in a row. Lissie's a great Chaser and Finn and Cameron make great Beaters. I wish you could see them play. Next year, maybe I'll go out for a Chaser position. Do you think I'd make it?_

_I'll see you when we come home for Christmas. I miss you, but don't let that go to your head and think I'm clinically depressed and suffering from detachment from my parents. I don't know how to tell you this in a kind way, but I am doing just fine over here. I am practically a grown up lady after all. Anyway, like I said, I'll see you at Christmas, and I'll make sure to cause some trouble by then, but also do all of my homework. Don't worry, Mum and Dad, I'll make you both proud. _

_Love, Aerliyn_

* * *

Three days before Christmas, Auden was wrapped in a blanket on the floor in front of the fire. She was leaning up against the coffee table, waiting for Fred. He said he had a surprise and he wanted to show her before the kids came home the next day.

"Okay, you're going to need to stand up," Fred said.

"Why?" she twisted around to see him entering the room with two mugs, a thermos, and a blanket under his arm. "What's all that?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, take that blanket, stand up, and grab my arm."

"Why? Where are we going?"

"Must you ask so many questions?"

"Yes," she answered.

"As annoying as it is sometimes, you wouldn't be you if you didn't fire off questions one after the other," he said, kissing her nose. "Grab my arm and close your eyes."

Auden stood up and grabbed his arm, closing her eyes. She felt the familiar Apparating feeling before they reappeared somewhere with a popping sound.

"It's a good thing there's only a dusting of snow," Fred said. "I wasn't looking forward to walking through a lot of it."

Auden opened her eyes and smiled. They were standing in front of the tree house. Fred led the way up the ladder and Auden followed without protest.

"It's amazing how this has stayed up so long, and in almost perfect condition, too," she said, looking around.

"That's because it's magical," Fred answered, sinking to the floor against the wall opposite her. She joined him and they wrapped the blankets around themselves. "Hot chocolate?" Fred handed her a cup of newly poured hot chocolate.

"The good news is that the house is still standing," Auden whispered, holding the cup in her fingers.

"Of course it is. Hot chocolate is one of the only things I can make without ruining it or something else."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. "Fred, can I ask you something?" Auden asked. She wanted to ask him something that she had thought of frequently in the past few years and she really wanted to know his answer.

"Of course," Fred turned to look at her, half of his face in shadow and the other half illuminated by moonlight.

Auden chose her words carefully. "On the night we started dating; you know, when you kissed me in the entrance hall, did you know, or even think we would make it this far? Marriage, a house of our own…kids?"

"No, I didn't know it, but I hoped," he answered. "I had no idea how we would turn out, but I knew I liked you and I knew I had to take a chance. Once Angelina and I broke up, I was planning on finding you to tell you how I felt, Cedric or no Cedric. It was my Weasley twin impulsiveness kicking in."

"I'm glad you came to find me that night," Auden said. She honestly had no idea where she would have ended up if she and Fred had never dated or if things hadn't worked out.

Fred smiled in the darkness. "What about you? Did you think we would last this long?"

"My answer's the same as yours. I had no idea, but I hoped for it. I hoped for it more than anything. I mean, I had liked other guys before. Did I ever tell you that first year I had a crush on Oliver Wood?"

"No!" Fred gasped. "Did you really?"

Auden nodded. "I wanted to try out for the Quidditch team originally because of him, but it was just a silly little girl crush and it ended pretty quickly. Cedric was the first guy I had pretty strong feelings for, but then with you, the feelings were even stronger. It was crazy. I was pathetically head over heels for you and it took me forever to realize it."

"Oliver Wood," Fred repeated, a smile lighting up his face as he chuckled. "I don't believe it. If I had known-,"

"You would have teased me about it. You _are_ teasing me about it."

"Sorry," Fred shook his head as he tried to compose himself.

"Well, what about you? I'm sure you had other crushes before me."

"Well, I did like Angelina for a while, but she didn't start liking me until I had already gotten over her. I also had a crush on that one witch who used to work at Flourish and Blott's.

"What one?"

"The one with the blonde, curly hair," Fred answered. "I was only twelve, so it was the equivalent to your 'little girl crush' I guess."

"Wow," Auden giggled. "Anybody else?"

"I liked Alicia for a few months," Fred said, resting his head against the wall. "She was actually the first girl I ever kissed. It was quick and it was under the mistletoe one Christmas..." Fred laughed and shook his head before looking down at her. "It was nothing compared to kissing you."

"You certainly have a thing for Quidditch girls," Auden said as she gently punched Fred's shoulder. "Although, what attracted you to the bookstore girl?"

"Her bouncy hair," Fred answered quickly. Auden gave him a weird look. "What? I was only twelve!"

Auden giggled and rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you, too, but we have no time to rest."

"Oh, we don't?" Auden asked.

"Not yet," Fred said. He stood up and grabbed her hand, helping her to her feet as well. He held their intertwined hands out to the side and put his other hand on her hip.

"We don't have music," Auden whispered.

"I can fix that," Fred whispered back. He pulled her close to him and started to hum their special song.

The song had played at the Leaky Cauldron, the Yule Ball and when Auden got her memory back. It was a Muggle song, but to Auden and Fred, it had its own special magic. It was a reminder, for Auden at least, that she always wanted to be the greatest fan of Fred's life, even if he was impulsive, talked before thinking, and would do anything for a laugh. Because even if that was all true, she loved him for all the same reasons and more. He was brave, daring, compassionate and kind. He made her laugh and always seemed to get her to dive headfirst into something she was scared to do. They had been through a lot together, and Auden had loved every minute of it.

* * *

"And that is the story of how your father and I met, fell and love, got married and started a family," Auden said. It was Christmas Eve, just a few days after the night in the tree house and she was sitting in the living room with Fred and her four children, who were grouped in front of her on the floor.

"Wow, Mum," Aerilyn said.

"I wish I could find a boy like that," Felicity said.

"You better find a boy just like me," Fred said. "Because then I know he'll treat you well. Not that you'll be finding any boy any time soon, though. I told your mother that all boys are going to be submitted to questioning."

Felicity rolled her eyes and Auden had to fight back a grin.

"Did you and Uncle George really hide in the bushes to watch Auden and Katie try out for Quidditch?" Finn asked.

Fred nodded. "We did."

"And Mum, you really tried on Muriel's clothes? That stuffy old bat?" Felicity giggled.

"Lissie, be nice, and yes I did," Auden answered.

"Mum, what was it like to have amnesia?" Aerilyn asked.

"I don't remember," Auden joked. Everyone laughed.

"Wow, you and dad have known each other longer than I've been alive," Cameron said.

"Obviously," Felicity snorted. "We wouldn't even _be_ alive if they didn't know each other."

"I still can't believe Uncle Ron played in that chess game," Finn added. "That's awesome! I'm good at chess. I beat all my friends at school. Do you think the chess game under Fluffy's trap door is still there?"

"I don't know, but don't you dare try to go down there," Auden said.

"Why? You did."

"That was different. I was—,"

"Younger than we are now," Cameron pointed out.

"But she was saving the world," Fred answered. "It's a completely different story. Now, get off to bed."

"Or else?" Felicity asked.

"Or else Santa Clause won't come to this house because there are four little monkeys out of bed," Auden told them.

Aerilyn stifled a yawn and stood up, making her way towards the stairs. The triplets reluctantly followed, dragging their feet to purposely waste time.

"I know what you're doing," Fred said, his voice serious, but a smile turning his lips upwards, "and you better hurry it up and get upstairs."

"Or else?" Finn asked.

"Or else I'm going to come kick your little monkey butts."

They giggled and rushed up the stairs.

Auden smiled at Fred. She reached behind the couch cushion and pulled out a small package. "Merry Christmas," she said.

"What's this?"

"A preliminary gift. I got you something else, but I just had to get you this. Open it."

Fred tore open the package to find a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "My favorite," he said.

"I hope it makes up for stealing them from you when we were little."

Fred chuckled. "It sure does. I never forgave you, you know."

Auden laughed. "Well, now am I forgiven?"

"Of course," Fred whispered.

"Aw!" said a small voice from the hallway, just behind the door.

"Bed!" Auden said loudly, smiling and shaking her head. There was a scampering sound from the hall and the sound of feet on stairs.

Fred began to laugh and Auden was soon laughing with him. He pulled her to him and she snuggled against him on the couch.

"They're just like you," she whispered, staring at the toilet seat that Fred had hung up to the extreme left of the fireplace. Auden had protested at first, but Fred didn't listen. He said it added to the room.

"Is that a bad thing?" Fred brushed his nose over the top of Auden's head.

"No, it's a perfectly wonderful thing," she answered, kissing him. And she meant it.

* * *

**A/N: So, this is the last chapter in this story. It's so weird to be done with the whole Auden/Fred series...I miss it already, but I'm thinking about doing a second generation story I just have to think of a storyline. I'd love to hear any ideas if anyone has any.**

**Thanks to everyone who's read my stories and stuck with me through all of them. Thanks to everyone that's reviewed or added the stories to their story alert/favorites...you guys are totally awesome.**

**I'm working on another Fred/OC story right now and I'll try to get the first chapter up soon :)**

**The song I used for the title is ****_Ever Ever After_**** by Carrie Underwood.**


	37. 2nd Generation Story Preview

**This is just a preview for the second generation story that I'm writing with Auden and Fred's kids and all of the other Weasley and Potter children. I decided to put a preview on here just in case anyone's interested in reading it and didn't know it was up yet. :)**

* * *

Once we had chosen a compartment, James stopped us from leaving. "I have an idea," he said. His eyes were twinkling mischievously. I knew what that meant. I had seen that look too many times on the faces of my brothers. It most likely even appeared on her my own face from time to time. Maybe even more than that.

"What?" Finn and Cameron asked excitedly.

"Your parents told you 'the story,' didn't they?"

We nodded. "Yeah, years ago," I said. "Why?"

"Well, I've been thinking. Why don't we try to do what our parents did? You know, recreate their adventures."

"So you want us to get Professor Lupin out under a full moon, find a time turner to go back in time, and get some Azkaban dementors to try and steal Sirius' soul again?" I asked. "That would be too much work and trouble. Not to mention dangerous."

"Well we don't have to do it exactly," James shrugged, waving his hand impatiently. "I was thinking more along the lines of simply _visiting_ the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. We can go in order. We start with the trapdoor in the third floor corridor. Then, we go into the Chamber of Secrets, the Whomping Willow, the-,"

I interrupted. "We can't fight a dragon or go through the maze. The maze is gone now anyway."

"I was going to say the lake. We can get our hands on some gillyweed and go for a little swim with the mermaids," James smirked. He plowed on before I could interrupt again. "Then, we go into the Room of Requirement, asking it for a place to practice defending ourselves so we can see the exact meeting place of the DA. Then we can visit Dumbledore's tomb since we can't exactly travel to the cave ourselves. We can even go into the Forbidden Forest and look for Grandpa Weasley's car. And maybe we'll find some unicorns or giant spiders."

"Aragog died," Finn said.

"But his family didn't," James smirked.

"And then what?" I asked. "We can't travel the countryside or break into the Ministry, or get captured by Snatchers. We can't start reenacting an entire battle."

James seemed to be stumped now, but then he snapped his fingers. "Our parents always bring us to Grandma and Grandpa Weasley's house for Christmas Eve, right? Well, we visit the cave where Uncle Fred and Aunt Auden first started doing Potterwatch with Uncle George, Aunt Katie, Lee and Angelina."

"And the tree house," I added. I had always loved going into the tree house every time I visited my grandparents' house. Well, _houses_ actually since both sets of her grandparents lived right next door to each other. It was a huge convenience.

"If you want," James answered, shrugging as if he couldn't care less about the tree house. All he liked to do up there was pretend it was a ship, or a castle, or a cabin in the woods, which was fine most of the time, but sometimes I just liked to sit up there and look at the stars.

"So are you in?" James asked, holding out his hand, palm down.

"We're in," we answered at once, putting our hands on top of James'.


End file.
